Legend Part 1: The Geneva League
by Aaliyah101
Summary: They're young. They're onboxious. They suffer from bad hair, bad fashion and the occasional zit. They are six teenagers who would gladly see the other in a body bag - and they were supposed to be Earth's last hope. God help us all.
1. Prologue: The Phophecy

**Authors Note:** Hiya readers, just a quick note from me to explain a few things about _Legend. _

Over the past few days, having more free time than I know what to do with and being stuck out on a farm _with_ nothing to do, I have decided to start writing again. I have re-edited the entire story up to what I have written so far, cutting out and adding things here and there. Hopefully it should make more sense now. In addition to that, to make it easier on your eyes, I have divided the Parts into smaller bits so that there are now fourteen parts instead of the seven/eight. I have finally rewritten the last chapter which had somehow cut off abruptly in the middle of a sentence, so now you can all at last find out what happens to good old Mei Ling and the gang.

Happy reading.  

Dedicated to all those afternoons on the top of the mountain dreaming big dreams, shooting pigeons and spitting on the unsuspecting folk below.

_If a million monkeys wrote for a million years, one would produce a masterpiece._

Thankyou Topaz for being that Monkey.

**_Legend_**__

**Part One:**

**The ****Geneva**** League**

**Prologue**

_"Protectors of life, the children of Gi _

_Foretold too oppose the Evils that be_

_The shadow, the air, the earth, the sea_

_The fire, the mind, shalt set the world free_

_Born of the elements, the guardians of life_

_Tis Daughter of the storm, child of the skies_

_When fury brought forth, her power dost rise_

_Song ring through the heavens, to halt Earth's demise_

_Or thus the world be doomed to die_

_Born of the elements, Guardians of life_

_The Daughter of Thanatos, a child of the night_

_Thief in the shadows, Bewitcher of sight_

_Madness invoked to restore the lost light_

_Only then shalt thoust wrongs be set right_

_Born of the elements, the guardians of life_

_Be the Son of the blaze, child of the fire_

_His love and his lust of burning desire_

_Who shalt still the flames of Abbadon's Ire_

_Revived from his ashes, the boy Messiah_

_Born of the Elements, Guardians of life_

_A Son of the earth, child of the land_

_Of Natures own, who wilt take the last stand_

_When thoust earth dost shatter, his healing hand_

_Thy pieces be soothed by spoken command_

_Born of the elements, Guardians of life_

_Spring the Daughter of the ocean, Child of the wave_

_The lover of Flame, for him Hell she wouldst brave_

_When the ocean revolts, her life dost she gave_

_Her sacrifice so the world be saved_

_Born of the Elements, Guardians of life_

_Born the Son of the psyche, Child of the mind_

_Offspring of Chakra, in his strength they find_

_The courage in whence their souls must bind_

_Together they fight the supreme Evil kind _

_Born of the elements, Guardians of life."_

He sat perched upon a throne within the oldest temple of the Ruins of Alph, staring intently through the gaping fissure made eons ago by a war long forgotten. The night sky flickered brightly, whispering the secrets of an untold future that only he could distinguish. Archimedes, the Legendary Bird of Wisdom, murmured the last phrases of the prophecy beneath his shaky breath. 

The evolved form of Noctowl, Archimedes, was a unique pokemon; the only one of his kind and an amazing creature. His crest of pulsating violet crystals flowed from the centre of his forehead and swept back over his head where it ran the entire length of his body. Large grey eyes betrayed wisdom gathered over centuries, sharp and alert. They could see for many a mile and allowed him to look forward into the distant future, or if desired otherwise, back into the shadows of the past. 

His wings spread twice the length of his entire body, ranging from a royal purple at his back, which melted into a fuchsia as they extended outwards, to a lighter orchid, then to a dusty violet and finally merging into his silver wingtips. His tail seemed nothing more than a mist, drifting around him like a mauve haze. 

As the tradition had been since the dawn of time, when the former Archimedes passed into death every millenium, a Noctowl was chosen to evolve into the Bird of Wisdom; Archimedes. The selection was made with enormous care as those chosen would become the Voice of All Life. It was their responsibility to insure that the earth had a say in its own predestination when the Wings of Council met every century to decide the fate of the world. 

The ancient bird sat below the decaying roof of the timeworn building. Icy winds blew in through cracks and loose stonework, howling morbidly around him. His beak moved once more, repeating the last line of the archaic prophecy, _"Born of the elements, Guardians of life." _

Reading the stars, he murmured, "The Time of Reckoning will soon be at hand. The Evils that ever lurk beneath the earth's surface shall awaken, and The Six, their fate realized, shall unite to destroy the forces who shall condemn the earth to eternal damnation should they hold the World within their merciless grasp." 

Archimedes sighed. His kind had long awaited the coming of the Reckoning, the Final Judgement. They had prepared themselves, not quite sure when it would arrive. Though their ability to read the stars and their gift of foresight were unmatched, the heavens were not always clear. 

Yet now the stars had shifted from their ordained position, signalling that the wait was drawing to an end, the ancient pokemon felt that perhaps he was not ready, his role in the Prophecy was to guide and assist The Six in the fore filling of their destiny. But would such an old bird such as he be any help at all? The stars did not tell who would win the titanic battle. What if The Six lost? What if the world had been doomed to die since the Genesis of Creation? What if - ? 

"Oh shut-up you old bird." He muttered to himself, "You may be a doddering old fool, but you aren't useless, you were chosen to oversee the world and look after it. That is your job. That is why you were bestowed with the Knowledge of Life, to protect life itself. And if one of the ways to protect life is to help The Six, then by God are you going to help them!" 

Self assured, he unfolded his massive wings and sprang from his aged throne, taking to flight. He veered upwards towards the dilapidated skylight and emerged into the shrieking winds of the darkened sky of the outside. Archimedes rose higher and higher into the night, leaving the shadows of a sleeping earth far below until it seemed he glided through a void of pitch blackness. Overhead, a star scattered night stretched on for an eternity, celestial beings far older than even he loomed above him and Archimedes couldn't help but stare in wonder. They had existed far longer than any life form in the entire universe, had looked upon petty wars waged upon distant worlds, overseen the birth of new ones, and would exist still, when they were destroyed. What would the stars care if the life of this planet ceased to exist? The stars themselves would live on, not singularly, but as a whole. To them, the Earth was nothing more than a pinprick on a giant's thumb, a minor detail in the greater scheme of something far more important. 

Beneath its majesty, Archimedes felt the timelessness of something that would live on forever and he felt insignificant, unimportant, and again doubts about the impending struggle gnawed at the edges of his mind. 


	2. The Elite Challenge

**_Sunday Morning, _****_8:45 am_****_. 1st of January._**

**_Indigo Plateau_**

**Mei********Ling******

****

My name is Mei Ling. 

I'm a con-artist, thief and the daughter of Lord Majellan of the Sazya Estate. 

I am also a pokemon trainer. 

Quite a repertoire, huh? 

To be quite honest, pokemon is not exactly my forte. Give me gloves and a lock-pick any day. 

It had begun as a decoy when I as 13, a harmless hobby to distract my parents, the law, everyone, from discovering where I _really _went after ballet. However, after my first chance battle, that simple decoy had grown into something much more serious. It had delivered an incredible adrenaline rush equal to that of pick-pocketing and it had soon become a full throttled addiction. It was no longer a means of deception; it had become the truth. My hunger grew more demanding and only the thrill of winning would leave it satisfied. 

The fact I kept losing was probably the reason why had continued with it. Unlike fortunate others, I had been gifted with absolutely no talent or beginners luck. My winnings were few and far between and it was only my zealot-like obsession and good old fashioned cheating that I began showing any signs of improvement at all. 

Four years later I found myself the current Indigo League Champion alongside Tempest Gale. How I got there, remained a complete and utter mystery – to the public. I wasn't joking when I said I sucked. Believe me, I really _really_sucked. It was only by a bizarre series of coincidences that had enabled me to work my way to the finals. The majority of contestants, who would have quite plainly; kicked my arse, had all mysteriously fallen ill. 

Their ailment? A mysterious bout of indigestion, most likely caused by the consummation of mysteriously tampered lobsters at the banquet the night before. 

Not that _I _had anything to do with it. 

Hey, I never once said I'd given up my wickedly ways. 

I stopped beneath the shade of a conifer, sweat trickled from my temples and I regretted wearing my jeans on such a hot day. Waving my hand before my face, I attempted a makeshift breeze. The climate of the Indigo Plateau in summer was virtually unbearable, and I cursed myself once again for my arrogance. When I'd received the invitation to Ebonisa Hall three weeks ago, I'd been ecstatic, thinking, _of course _I had to go. It was expected, it would be simply outrageous if I didn't, being the Indigo Champion and all! The meeting involved all the past and present champions of the leagues, and it was at the Plateau's Ebonisa Hall that the challenge of becoming members of a new Elite Four would be issued. 

It certainly shouldn't have concerned me; it took a tummy bug for me to win last time. This next occasion I might actually get caught! A general rule of thumb amongst thieves; never burgle the same house twice. 

But no, my pride had gotten the best of me and with delusions of greatness; I'd booked the first flight from Johto. 

"Idiot." I muttered. 

Tick. Tick. Tick.

I checked my watch.

8:15 AM.  

Damn, I didn't want to be late. But then again, I didn't want to step out into the sunshine and endure its insufferable heat. Beads of perspiration dropped from my chin and splattered upon the paved ground. Sighing, I wrenched myself away from the shade of the conifer and dragged myself up the pathway and towards the looming black marbled Hall ahead, imposing against the crisp cyan sky. Tempest Gale would probably be there. I winced at the thought. Admittedly that girl was by far one of the most talented trainers ever to enter the league. Her personality however, left little to be desired. Her temper was in a continuos state of imminent explosion, and her mouth could spit out curse words to make even a sailor cringe. Furthermore and most importantly, she hated my guts for drawing with her. 

Big time. 

Beneath the beating heat of the sun, I groaned, "They'd better have air conditioning."

Man, why was I here again? It was a complete unnecessary waste of time. I could be challenging a battle I'd most likely be able to win, say with a ten year old. I could be relaxing on a strip of deserted beach in the Orange Islands. I could be off dedicating my time to something productive, like robbing a bank! 

With a sigh of self pity, I consoled myself with the fact that with the amount of people certain to attend, I'd at least have some pick-pocketing fun.   

I made my way to the finely cut marble steps of the building, momentarily stopping to stare in awe. It was a huge structure of thick black marble walls cleanly rising into the sky at almost thirty metres high, and just as much wide, its elegant gable style roof made it a further ten metres taller. 

Now wouldn't _that_ be an interesting investment? 

Eager to see the inside furnishings, I bounded excitedly up the steps, my uncomfortableness in the heat vanishing. I pushed open the heavy double oak doors and was greeted with the clamour of hundreds of people whose voices reverberated loudly around the bare room. Rows upon rows of plastic sable chairs, numbers clearly printed on each back, took up most of the room in the hall, leavings trainers to mill around its edges. 

My disappointment at the Spartan quality of the inside was quickly shoved aside as my eyes bulged at the sight of so many people so closely clustered together. A gleeful grin spread across my face, it was a pickpocket's paradise! They'd never notice if a personal item, or a few....O.K, more than a few, dollar bills went missing! 

At the front of the room was a raised dais where I could see the eight professors of the world conversing together. Oak, Ivy, Elm, Briar, Willow, Lilly, Birch, and Mangrove were all there, each dressed in identical white lab coats.

I elbowed my way through the crowd. 

Wow! Nice watch, I'll just grab that.... 

Ooh! A twenty dollar note! 

She won't neat this cheap ring anymore.... 

Oh my! Now what _have _you got in your pockets!? 

_WHOOMPH! _

"Aagh!" Something caught my feet. I stumbled, losing grip of a boy's red cell-phone as I crashed into a group of Kimono Girls. 

"Sorry!" I yelped, as I tried to catch my balance, failed miserably, and collided into a giant of a boy with pale green hair smoothed carefully on either side of his face with gel and a gorgeous golden chain wrapped around his neck. He glanced down at me loftily, his face painted with foundation, his features uncannily straight. 

"Watch it!" He snapped, his voice haughty, the words perfectly pronounced........!!! 

Oh God. _NO_! 

This boy...... richly dressed, pampered all his life, and was more of a girl than other normal girls who were actually girls. 

Shit! It was Abel! The poofy son of Lord Hegros, my Dad's business partner! 

"Oh man." I groaned inwardly. 

"Mei Ling!" He exclaimed in realization, pale blue eyes widening. 

I frowned, the only thing that had changed about Abel was the fact that he had dyed his hair.... 

"What on earth are you doing here?" 

....and had grown several inches taller than when I had last seen him.... 

"Fancy that!" 

....he was actually quite big now, not the little short arse that I remembered.... 

"Humph! I suppose you are going to try your luck at becoming an Elite Four?" 

....nope, definitely not a little short arse.... 

"I seriously don't know why you bother, you're basically wasting your time now that _I'm _here, and you _did_ travel quite a long way to get here, only to be turned back by your superiors, poor thing." 

....but still the arrogant pig. 

"Well, answer me girl! What are you doing here?" 

"Nothing," I mumbled, furtively glancing about for an escape. 

He snickered, "You know your parents disapprove of you on this absurd '_Pokemon__ Journey_.' A helpless girl like yourself should not wonder the roads alone. There are Pokemon thieves around, and Team Rocket _did_ make a nasty mess of the Silph Co. building in Saffron. You should be with my sister in The School for Ladies. It's very good I hear. Fix you up right as rain, so to say." He simpered, "You know _I _could go with you on your Journey. Misery loves company." 

My eyebrows shot up. I thought of a few offensive comments, thought about expressing them, but realized how furious my father would be if I started a fight with his partner's son. Groaning inwardly, I forced a smile and replied, "Uh... no. But..... Oh look! There's my seat! Better go! Bye!" 

"There's a good girl, I'll see you later!" 

Pretentious moron.

He turned, and walked away. 

Without a gorgeous golden chain. 

**Tempest**

"Damn people," I muttered under my breath. They just kept swarming in. Didn't they know they didn't have a chance of becoming an Elite Four Trainer now that _I_ was on the scene? I swore as my slight frame was squashed against the black marble wall. Mumbling obscenities, I shoved through the masses of humanity and headed towards my designated seat. 

"Hey you - off my chair!" I barked, even though I felt like saying _my planet _instead. The blonde air-head lounging on my planet, uh, correction, chair, glanced up at me. 

"Chill out, baby," he drawled, I saw myself reflected in his silver tinted sunglasses, a petite girl, with an unblemished complexion, framed by a cascade of silky midnight blue hair and royal blue eyes the colour of priceless sapphires stared back at me… 

All right, I'll level with ya. What I just said - was a load of bullshit. I'm a short, scrawny, kid with lots of split ends in that 'silky' hair, and you don't wanna corner me in a dark alley. I'd clawed to the top from the bottom of the barrel, and when I mean bottom of the barrel - I mean it, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who got in my way. I had striven for success since my 10th birthday searching everywhere for the greatest Pokemon that ever lived, the legendary birds of the Wings of Council. However, despite these features, I'm the world's best diplomat. 

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CHAIR!" I yelled. "If you didn't know, these seats are ordered by _rank_ and this seat is near the front and unless you're as dumb as you look, _I am Tempest! Master of the Wings of Council!" _

"Tempest eh? Nice name," he smirked, "For a dog." 

As I reached for my masterball containing Moltres, ready to fry the arsehole into a crisp chip, the voice of Professor Oak echoed around the hall, slightly distorted as it resonated through the amps in each of the corners of the hall. 

"Is this thing on? Oh! Ahem, can the Champions of the Leagues please come to order." 

Immediately the deafening voices died down to a low murmur and there was the scrape and rattle of chairs as each and every member of the room struggled to find their seat. I glared at the impudent blonde boy in mine. 

"Get off before I…" I let the threat hang. 

"Before you what?" he challenged, his eyes boring directly into mine, "Screech me to death?" 

"What?" I screeched incredulously, raising my fist ready to pound him into a bloody pulp. "_I do not screech!" _ 

"Excuse me, but I think you're in my seat." 

I wheeled around ready to hammer the new trainer vying for my chair, but I caught it just in time. 

"Ugh, Mei Ling." I glared at the tall willowy girl who looked better on a catwalk than a Pokemon Journey. She had a slim, shapely frame with olive skin, tanned by all the years on the road – or a solarium. A mass of straight jade hair tumbled to her waist. But that was as far as the girly act went. Her green eyes were sharp, often furtive and I couldn't help but think she was always looking out for a getaway car. Her quick grin spoke volumes of mischievous and unethical deeds just waiting to happen, and in her presence, I frequently found myself putting a protecting hand to my wallet. 

We were both in casual dress. I wasn't a big believer in fashion, in fact I thought the whole concept was the epitome of all things ridiculous. A scraggly well worn in violet sleeveless T-shirt woven sometime in the dark ages, and a pair of short which on me looked like they'd been swiped off a fat mans clothes line. As always, my dark blue hair was tied in a ponyta tail and I had slipped it through the hole in the back of my official red and black Metone League cap. 

However, such carelessness concerning clothes was not a part of Mei Ling's nature. She unashamedly took full advantage of her Daddy's income. Today, she had shown up in designer blue denim jeans and a pale green malachite tee emblazoned with the Johto emblem. A black backpack slung over her shoulders. Of course everything was creased in the right place, sat in the right place, with her hair in the right place. Bloody perfect. 

"Hey Tempest!" she grinned, attempting a friendly punch to the shoulder which I froze with a glare, "How long's it been?" 

"Not long enough." I eyed her suspiciously, my hand drifting towards my pockets. I had first met her during the competition for the Indigo League Cup and after two weeks, had concluded she was the shiftiest, most dubious little con ever to grace the league. She was a klutz when it came to battling and how she had made it to the finals was beyond me. Initially I hadn't minded, in fact, I had greeted the prospect of an easy win - until some horrible chance of fate had kicked me in the face. The match had been hurtling along bloody fantastic, Mei Ling was down to her final pokemon, and I still had two of mine left. However, to my utter horror, when I'd decided that the crowd had received their moneys worth and that it was time for me to end the game and claim my prize, my _other_ remainingbird zapped into the ring as well. I was disqualified from using them and had resorted to throwing in a pokemon that had already fought. Though not a heart stopping battle by any standards, my zapdos, already on the verge of collapse from his previous efforts, had only managed to strike a draw. 

I had resented Mei Ling ever since. How dare her, bungling idiot that she was! She didn't deserve the cup – I did! Seven bloody years of sweat, blood, and thirty pairs of worn sneakers, showed just how _much_ I deserved that cup!  

After my attempts to scratch out her name on the trophy had ended in restraints and a week in therapy, I had finally settled on a grudging awe. The answer as to who was the better trainer was obvious (me, you dolt!) and didn't need questioning, but by crikey, was that girl lucky!

Mei Ling, flashed another bright smile, "Now I know you don't mean that." 

_"Ahem." _

"As if."

_"Ahem." _

"You can at least say hello." 

_"EXCUSE ME." _

"What?" I whirled around in annoyance. Professor Oak looked down on me from the raised dais with disapproval. I reddened. Mei Ling and I looked stared around the room and realized we were the only ones left standing. The others had fallen silent, snickering at us. 

"But he's in my seat!" I protested, jabbing a finger at the blonde who only smirked insolently.

"Ex_CUSE_me?!" Mei Ling interjected. 

"Beep!" Blondey said, pressing an imaginary buzzer. "Both answers are incorrect. Would you like to go for a,_ Double_ Jeopardy?" 

"Then who's bloody seat is it!" I cried, throwing my hands up in exasperation. 

"Duh! Mine of course!" Mei Ling answered, holding up her card with a roll of her eyes. Blondey and I rechecked ours. The boy threw a careless glance at Oak.

"Sorry Milady's," he mocked an aristocratic tone. "Mineth cardith was upsidedownith." 

He got up and sauntered towards the back row. 

"Then where the bloody hell is mine?" I fumed. 

Professor Oak looked pointedly at the empty seat next to Mei Ling. 

"Oh." I flushed and quickly sat down. 

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Now that we've got _that_ over and done with, let's begin the meeting." 

Silence descended upon the room. 

I glared down at my hands, strewth, if I weren't like a bloody marsupial mouse amongst a pack of bloody emus I'd beat the bloody living daylights out of every - 

Hey!? Wasn't I wearing a bloody watch a few minutes ago? 

"Welcome all Champions of the South; Johto, Kanto, Metone and Orange Island Leagues, and those of the North; Ariellan, Mercury, Geo, and Iris." Professor Oak began. "You all know why we're here today; to throw out the challenge of becoming an Elite Four member. Will, Koga, Bruno and Karen are ready to step down from their titles to pass them onto those who prove themselves worthy. How do you prove yourself worthy you ask? It is simple. For centuries the 8 Leagues of the world have each been considered their own Leagues. After weeks of council among the Gym Leaders and their reigning Professors of the Leagues we have decided to combine them." 

"To make one League."

"The Geneva League."

In order to become a member of the Elite Four you must earn all the Badges of the Geneva League, 64 Badges in all. It is a great task to undertake and I know that only those of the Elite Skill will complete it. Once all Badges have been collected you will return here to the Indigo Plateau, where you will compete against others who have made it as far as yourself, down to the last four, you will then go on to battle a member of the Elite. If you defeat an Elite Trainer in a Pokemon battle you will take their title. Are their any questions?" Professor Oak pointed to a girl in the back row. 

"I've already earned 16 Badges. Do I have to battle for them again?" 

"No," he answered. "If you have the Badge in your possession now, you do not have to battle for them again. But you must have the rest of the Badges to compete in the Geneva Championship. Any others?" 

He gazed around the room, his grey eyes squinting to see if there were any hands raised down the back. "No? Alright then, I'll explain the rules. _You _must earn these Badges, you may not purchase them or steal them. If any are stolen they will immediately be reported to us. You _must _travel around the regions in groups of at least three. This is for your own safety." 

Low growls and murmurs started around the room. 

I shot out of my seat, there was NO WAY I was going to travel with some audacious dipstick, "You can't make us! You must be barmy as a bandicoot! Don't you know who I am? I am Tempest! I travel alone, earn my Badges alone and I'll do this - alone! _I'm the lone wolf!"_

"Don't you mean lone _dog?" _Someone called from the back, laughter erupted around the hall. 

"Yeah, woof woof!"

I whipped around and tossed my masterball containing Zapdos into the air. He burst from the ball and careened over their heads, shocking innocent victims. 

Heh, heh, heh. 

"That's_ ENOUGH_! Return your bloody Zapdos this bloody instant! The reason for the introduction of this new rule is that recently there have been numerous brigand attacks on solitiary trainers. If you don't agree to our bloody rules I'll give you such a big boot up the arse you'll be passing blood for the next five weeks!" shouted one of the other professors on the platform. Growling, I recalled Zapdos, turned and took my seat again. Professor Briar of the Metone League glared furiously at me, his black bloodshot eyes twitching in vehemence. His left one looked like it was about to burst out of its socket. I scowled and mumbled a barely audible 'sorry'. 

"Again Tempest? You're bloody askin' for it aren't you?" Through gritted teeth he grabbed the mike from Oak and shouted into it. We all clutched our ears as the static screeched through the amps. "You _will_ obey all the rules. Any broken, and I'll be buggered if I don't see to it myself that you're Pokemon License is revoked!" As he handed it back to the startled Professor Oak, an apprehensive silence descended upon the room once more. 

"Ahem," Oak started again. "Yes, well, the 3rd and final rule is that you must complete this Quest within two years. On January 1st, two years from now we will hold the first Geneva League Championship Tournament. If you are one of the remaining four who manage to triumph over an Elite, their title shall be bestowed upon you." 

"What if you lose?" someone cried. 

"The Elite Four member will remain. If all that is made clear, those of courage, determination and compassion take up this challenge. If you deem yourself worthy, receive maps for the Geneva League from the leading Professor from whose region you originally come from. May each of you reach for your goals, for you are all worthy of the path you have chosen. Stand strong against the challenges and hardships you will face and you will never lose your way. Good Luck and goodbye, may I see every one of you here in two years time." With that, he stepped down from the mike and returned to his seat, removing a bundle of papers from the inside of his coat. 

**Mei****Ling**

"Pretty speech," I murmured. Beside me, Tempest wore a bored expression. 

She snorted, "Biggest load of crap I ever heard. These people worthy? Hah! The only person I see up on the Indigo League platform getting the title, is me." 

She slid out of her chair and left to see Professor Briar of Metone to receive her map. 

I shook my head, watching her go. She hadn't changed one little bit. I hadn't expected her to though. She was a rock. An unmoving, unchangeable rock. Good for nothing except breaking windows. 

Glancing at Ebonisa's Exit, I mused about whether or not to get out while I could. 

Face it Mei, I told myself. This little rumble isn't for you. 

But the title of an Elite Four was very, very luring. 

"Ah crap," My resistance crumbled. I got up and headed towards Professor Elm of Johto, my home region. Trainers hurried frantically this way and that. Chairs were being pushed over as they hurried to be the first to get their maps. I grunted in disdain, get a grip people, there are more than enough to go around. 

WHOOSH! 

What the-? 

I dodged a flying chair, it sailed over my head and crashed into a row of empty seats behind me. I whirled around, "Hey, watch it you little punk!" 

The room was becoming a war zone. 

I shoved my way through the crowd - acquiring a few handy trinkets on the way of course. 

"Hey!" 

"Sorry." Nice ring, mine now. 

"Don't push in!" 

"Yeah, I'll make a note of that," I'll just confiscate _this_, thank you very much. 

"You stepped on my foot!" 

"Get over it." Wooh! A candy bar! 

"OOOW!" 

"Don't chuck a hissy fit." Obnoxious moron.... 

Finally, a few glares, possessions and obscenities later, I made my way to the front. Professor Elm was having a tough time, awkwardly throwing out maps to the many outstretched hands. 

"Please! Everyone, get into a line!" He pleaded. 

Of course, no one listened. 

"Hey Professor Elm!" I cried brightly, "What's up?" 

"Hey! Get that chick out of the road!" Some girl yelled. 

I glared at her, "Mind your manners bi-_atch__._" 

"Make me, you little scrag!" 

Scrag? _SCRAG?__ In this designer outfit?!  _Just as I was about to wheel around and ram my fist into the offending trainer's face, the scraggly brown haired Professor looked up at me. 

"Why hello again Mei Ling! Map?" 

Diverted from my fashion deprived prey, I turned my attention back to Elm, "Yes please, Professor." 

He smiled tiredly, adjusted his glasses, and glanced pointedly at the pile of folded papers beside him, "Just take one." 

"Thanks!"

"Hey! That's not a bad idea!" A trainer cried.

Immediately trainers surged forward, rushing to grab a map from the pile_._

"Nooooooooooooo!" Elm wailed helplessly, watching in agonized fury as people began to shove and push each other, fighting over the maps. 

He looked hopelessly at me, moaning, "It's like this every four years..." 

Then, shoulders sagging dejectedly, he sauntered off. 

I felt a twinge of pity. Only a twinge mind you, I was more concerned with getting the hell out of that doomed place before someone noticed their missing belongings and cried thief. That _always _led to trouble. 

"Hey there!" 

What now? A few steps from the oak doors, I turned. It was the blonde boy from the seat incident earlier on. 

"Hi there!" The blonde stuck out his hand, "Seth." 

I shook it, appraising him with one raised eyebrow, "Mei Ling." 

Though tall, he was not a bad looker. He coolly smoothed back his blonde hair, sunglasses reflecting the light shining from the windows. Beneath his black woollen jumper, he wore a plain white t-shirt. Baggy denim jeans almost concealed his sneakers, the edges frayed and dirty from where they had scuffed across the ground as he had walked. His pokebelt studded with pokeballs did nothing to hold up his pants. 

"I'm a dog trainer from Kanto." He began with a confident grin, "Yeah, been at this game for about eight years. Since I was ten, y'know?" His fingers tapped his pokeballs as if they added proof. 

"Well, I train dragon types." I replied, eyeing a silver ring he wore on one of his fingers. 

"And like with the whole travel buddies thing, I was wondering if - " 

_CRASH!!! _

He was interrupted as the ceiling collapsed.

People were showered with plaster dust. Entire chunks of the roof smashed to the ground exploding into smaller fragments, crushing chairs and everything with the misfortune of being in the centre of the room. 

"What the hell?!" 

The black marble walls shook and for a minute I thought the whole building would collapse on top of us. Pandemonium erupted, more chaotic, more chaotic than before. Confused shouts filled the room, adding to the calamity of pounding footsteps as trainers ran to avoid the debris. From various places across the hall, the professors struggled to keep their footing.

"Get out of the way!" 

"Whaa!" I was barrelled over by a mass of trainers bolting for the door. The marble floor trembled, and my chest was racked by coughs as I breathed in dust. The screams around me rose higher as the quaking worsened. I could hardly hear myself think. 

"Man, this has gotta be a fucking joke!" Seth swore, grabbing me to my feet and hauling me away from the exit which had so quickly become a danger zone. 

Heaving for breath, leaning against the wall for support, I stretched to get a better view of what the hell was happening. Through the running bodies and the dust that had begun to settle like a fog, I realized that the shaking, the noise, the overhead collapsing, were all caused by something that was tearing its way through the roof. 

A tall girl with short brown hair barged into me, knocking me to the ground. 

"Get out of my way!" She screamed. 

As I hit the floor I instantly knew I was in trouble. The shaking ground prevented me from pushing myself to my feet. Trainers trampled over me, and despite my shouts, they were too worried about their own asses to listen. I cried out as my hands were squashed beneath the shoes of someone with very big feet. Pain exploded up my thigh as I was unknowingly kicked by a trainer in white shorts. A chunk of ceiling plummeted to the ground, sending shards ricocheting into the bodies of any unfortunates nearby. I shielded myself with my hands, a clump skimmed across my arm, leaving a painful, bleeding graze in its wake. 

That was the last straw. I grabbed a masterball from my pokebelt. 

"Shahman, go!" 

The silver ball burst in midair. Florescent red light flooded out forming into a huge glistening Lunar dragon. His silver scales gleamed. The ball returned to my hand, minimized, and was clipped back on. 

He was like a dragon of old. A long snakelike body covered in silver scales, he had three pairs of short clawed legs, and a long curling tail. He didn't have a neck as such, but the top half of his body ended with his diamond peaked head. His face was squarish, and from his snout, protruding from either side, was a pair of tumbling white whiskers, giving him the appearance of having a moustache. Another one curled from his chin. Long snowy waif-like fins, scaled down the middle of his back, ending at his tail in a brilliant white flame. Deep set blue eyes shone like sapphires. He had evolved from the lunar bird, seraph with the aid of a moonstone. By that time, I had long given up in evolving pokemon the old fashioned way. 

Shahman looked about with a bored expression, watching the panic and turmoil below. How he flew was a constant bafflement on my part. He didn't have wings and as far as I knew, he wasn't telekinetic. 

I gasped in agony as a foot planted itself on my stomach, intense pain flared through my body, and I rolled on the ground, clutching my belly while my eyes tears welled in my eyes. 

I wheezed, "Shahman..." 

"Oh look, chaos, destruction. Armageddon's started then yeah?" As per usual, his voice was monotonous, uninterested. "Oh well, better get on with it then." His translator lay hidden beneath his jewelled tiara. 

Streaming through the air towards me, he lowered far enough to the floor so I could haul myself on. I winced, the pain was easing off somewhat, but it still hurt like hell. 

_CRASH!_

The ceiling exploded! 

I clutched my ears in an attempt to keep out such deafening noise.

Everyone seemed to freeze, their heads snapping towards the roof. 

The quaking had ceased. The last bits of debris fell to the floor, crushing the chairs beneath. I rose up on Shahman's back, staring in disbelief at what descended through the ruined ceiling. 

A black sharp nosed aircraft landed in the centre of the hall, its engine creating a thick dust cloud, preventing us from seeing the vehicle clearly. 

"Shit!" Seth swore from below. He shoved his way through the crowd of delirious trainers to gape at the new spectacle. 

The dust cleared, inscribed on the craft's sides was a large bright lettered pink 'R'. 

Fuck. I _knew _I shouldn't have come! Damnit, on the day that I'd forgotten my lucky kanghaskan tooth as well! 

Before I could even utter an order to my Shahman to get me the hell outta there, Professor Briar seemed to materialize out of no where. Fists raised, eyes twitching, a vein in his forehead looking like it would burst, he shouted; "Team Rocket! Bloody oath! How dare you buggers interrupt an Indigo League meeting! Just about demolish the building whilst injuring god knows how many people in the process! Pick ya arses up, and _GET THE HELL OUT!!"_

His face was redder than a tomato. 

The glass hatch covering the cockpit slid open. 

"Quite an entrance don't you think?" Asked a smug female voice. 

"Oh yes, quite." Agreed a male's. 

Dressed in the infamous black and pink uniform, a pair of Rockets were seated at the controls. A woman, long pale pink hair framing her face, sultry pink eyes and skin white as marble, laughed haughtily as she leapt from her seat and climbed gracefully onto the roof of the hover-craft. 

"Introducing," She purred, "Lilia." She bowed extravagantly. 

"And Luke." The man who remained in his seat, winked and saluted mockingly. His black hair, cut just above his ears and parted down the middle. A black mole loomed on the side of his nose, casting a giant shadow across his face, a dark canyon of pores. 

Cries of panic became shouts of obscenities. Most trainers detested Rockets as they were nothing more than bungling thieves, an annoying hindrance at best. Me? Well, let's just say I avoided trouble where I could. Seized criminals tend to always point the finger. 

I glanced down and saw there were those who shared my sentiments. A few people were still edging towards the door. It was at that moment that I had my bright spark of ingenuity. I whispered to Shahman, "When I say go, blast em away with moonbeam. OK?" 

Beating _these _types wasn't all that hard. Even _I _could do it! Furthermore, after helping to put them away behind bars I'd get praised as a hero. 

I liked the sound of that! 

Lilia's head snapped up, her pink eyes glaring at me. "You can forget about whatever _you're _planning little Missy. You see, if you try anything," She gazed coldly around at the mass of trainers remaining in the room, "My comrade here, will blow you all to the moon with our little craft's Super-weapon." 

Luke grinned. 

She looked back up at me, "Got it?" 

Shit, O.K, so they weren't your average nitwit T.R Thieves. 

The male Rocket spoke up, "You know the drill. Hand over your pokemon." 


	3. Gatecrashers

**Tempest**

Who the hell did they think they were? 

Me?! 

And if they were thinking I was giving up _my_ Pokemon? 

Fat bloody chansey! 

The cowards who had been shoving their way through the door to escape the falling debris of the roof, had swept me along with them, but now that I was outside I had the advantage of surprise. I elbowed through the crowd until I found my way to a clear patch on the now churned up lawn. Speeding towards one of Ebonisa's black walls I released my prized bird. 

"Go Artemis!" 

As my Articuno swept by me I leapt onto her back to be nestled between her crystal encrusted wings. I shivered from the cold emanating from her body. Gritting my teeth we gained altitude and flew high above the building. Seeing the gaping hole the Rockets had made, I ordered her into a stoop. 

But before she had the chance to obey my request, something totally unexpected and extraordinary happened. 

The skies above me darkened, melting into a fiery crimson. It looked like the whole bloody sky was on fire! 

The wind began to pick up, an arid gust which whipped my hair into a blue frenzy. Artemis stopped in mid-flight, looking around in confusion. 

"Fair dinkum." I murmured in awe. A jagged bolt of lightning split the sky and a deafening clap of thunder followed thereafter. A tree, not far away from where we hovered, immediately burst into flames, the trainers below whirled about, horror stuck. I watched the ground suddenly begin to shake madly, violently rocking to and fro, people were hurled to the earth. 

What was bloody going on? You don't get earthquakes on the Indigo Plateau!!!

Screams of confusion rose to meet me in the sky. I was relatively safe, up on Artemis's glossy back, but I felt the shocking vibrations of the ground even at this height. 

Remarkably, despite the new commotion I remembered the Rockets, and realized this freakish weather change and quake was just the distraction I needed. Ignoring the growing shrieks of panic, I plummeted towards the skylight that the bandits had created earlier. 

We zoomed through, catching everyone by surprise and, realizing how good I looked on the back of a legendary bird about to save the day - despite the fact that everyone was screaming about madly - I stood up grinning like a maniac. 

I saw that in here, the quakes were much more disastrous, hardly anyone was standing. Shouts and screams vibrated against the violently shaking walls. Trainers were thrown all over the place. Chairs collided into each other, bouncing wildly upon the ground. The amps had fallen from their perches in the corners of the hall and lay broken and smashed upon the ground amid piles of wreckage. 

The two Rockets looked about fearfully. Lilly-what's-her face held desperately onto their craft from where she sat on its roof, I spotted Mei Ling in the air on her Shahman, struggling to keep from falling. I shot a glance up at the open hole; the sky was utter chaos, a furious crimson. Clouds, stained with a blood red tint rolled and tumbled against each other. 

This was impossible, what kind of freak of nature was going on?! 

But just as suddenly as it had started, the shaking ceased, the deep rumbling stopped. A frightened silence descended upon the room, broken only by the occasional random sob.

A wave of relief washed over me. The dust cleared, and I noticed that the sky was once again the good old southern blue. 

The section of fallen roof had shaped a giant sloping mountain of junk separating one side of the hall from the other. Unfortunately, I was on the side blocked from the door, as were the two distraught Rockets, about forty or so trainers and, to my surprise, Mei Ling and her Shahman. The trainer, scared beyond her wits, glanced feverishly about, looking ready to bolt at any moment. 

I collected my thoughts and regained my composure, stroking Artemis's neck, rubbing just above her translator in an attempt to calm her. She gave me a nervous _coo. _

Below, Lillia (was that her name?), recovering from her fear, glanced about snidely as if nothing had happened. Or at least nothing that was too important to bugger up the Rocket's plans. "Don't think that just because we had a little weird weather that we're going to just let you go." 

"Yeah," croaked Luke, inching his head up bit by bit from behind the control panel in the cockpit of the aircraft he was cowering in. 

"Put a sock in it!" I cried. Quickly falling back into my usual self, I ordered Artemis towards the two thieves. 

"Ice Beam!" I yelled pointing at the Rocket aircraft. A jagged bolt of blue lightning crackled through the air and encased it in ice, Luke with it. He pounded on the window yelling and screaming for Lilia to get him out. 

"Use your Charizard you fool!" Lilia hissed, she had leapt off the hood of the craft just in time and now stood beside it on a hill of plaster wreckage. 

The huge from of Charizard manifested within the cockpit, squashing the Rocket against the walls. Luke's lips moved again and Charizard roared in response. A jet of flame burst from his nostrils melting the cockpit and the icy prison. 

"Much better," Lillia murmured, absently examining her pink painted nails. 

"Fuck," I muttered to myself. Then out loud I yelled. "Fine! Children who play with fire only get burnt." 

Charizard roared again and blew another blast of flame. Artemis barrel rolled and avoided the attack easily. I laughed in defiance as we ducked under another flamethrower. We whistled through the air inside what was left of Ebonisa Hall. 

"Don't just stand there!" Luke barked. 

Charizard took to the air to follow. Another spurt of fire whizzed nearer, singeing Artemis's wings. She shrieked in anger and pain. 

Looking back at me meaningfully, she hissed, "No more games!" And pulled to halt. "Hey you! Lavabreath. Looks like your mother got too friendly with a Slowpoke, cos you don't have a chansey of catching me if that's the best you can do!" 

He bellowed and pumped his wings. Another flamethower blew by, narrowly missing Mei Ling and her Shahman. 

"Hey! Watch where you're flaming!" Mei Ling swore, ducking her head, "Shahman, moonbeam!" 

Her pokemon turned his head to cast her a baleful gaze, "You sure, gov?"

"Yes I'm fucking sure!" She snapped heatedly. 

"Well, you see. Under the current circumstances, that attack wouldn't really work. So how's about a meteor-shower, eh?" He answered, as if speaking to a child.  

I saw her shoulders sag in exasperation, "Ok fine, we'll do it your way. It's not like as the trainer I get an important say or anything." 

Shahman's sapphire eyes shone bright, then suddenly, TSWIIIIINNNG!!! A dazzling light erupted into the air and the Charizard was momentarily blinded. He howled and covered his eyes painfully. 

Using this to her advantage, Artemis darted nimbly around the distressed fire type. She shot out short bursts of ice, always keeping a metre out of his reach when he lashed out blindly, aggravating the fire dragon further. 

Finally we were in position. "Forget Slowpoke, must have been a Magikarp. A matchstick is better then you!" 

Charizard's voice thundered around the hall, trainers on the ground cringed against the ruined walls. 

Charizard released his most powerful attack; Fireblast. 

It tore through the air aimed directly at Artemis's breast. But we waited, hovering in front of the Team Rocket aircraft. Just when it seemed like we were done for... 

"Now!" 

Artemis veered upwards. The Fireblast left her tail in ashes, but nothing a max revive wouldn't fix. The important thing was that it had hit its target. 

'NOOOO!" Team Rocket shrieked as they finally realized what we were doing. Luke evacuated the machine as it was about to be engulfed by the blaze. And both Rockets dived behind a pile of debris to avoid the fire. The flames whirled around their machine faster and faster and suddenly, _BOOM__!_ The whole thing exploded. 

The shock waves knocked us into a tailspin. We crashed against the wall and I disappeared beneath Artemis's glassy wings. 

**Mei****Ling**

I groaned, "Oh shit." 

See what I mean about an unlucky day? I'd have been better off staying at home counting my money. 

I wondered if Tempest was injured and I almost felt guilty about taking her watch. Almost. 

Shooting a look at the gaping skylight, I said to Shahman, "This is our cue to leave."

"Aw gov," Shahman murmured, "Not now, things are getting fun." 

I threw my hands up in exasperation, "Does the word _trainer _mean anything to you?" 

See what I mean about my utter hopelessness when it came to battles? 

"Oh man!" Luke poked at the pile of smoking rubble which had once been their ship. 

"No time for that," Lillia snapped, "We have business to finish, things to kill." She glared at the still figure of Artemis. Somewhere beneath the cold blue feathers, was Tempest. 

The pink haired woman threw one of her pokeballs into the air, "Typhlosion! Get out here!" 

Her giant fire beast materialized in front of her. 

"Now, Finish them off with flamethrower!" 

"You too Charizard!" 

"Look, I really wouldn't recommend it if I were you." Shahman interrupted, his tail whipping threateningly.  

"Excuse me?" Lillia smirked, "Since when did trainers let their pokemon do the talking for them?" 

Waving my hand in a slight motion, I replied drily, "No no, don't mind me. I'm only here for face value." 

The woman laughed scornfully, "Alright then. Bring it on, _pokemon__. _Show us what you got."

"Oh shut up you butt ugly old hag." The lunar dragon retorted disdainfully. 

Lillia froze. Luke glanced about nervously. 

Her fists clenched tightly till her knuckles turned white, and her bottom jaw twitched. Lillia exploded with fury, "How _DARE_ you! Typhlosion, Charizard, _get her!!"_

 "HWROOAR!!" 

"Shit!" I swore, frantically leaping forward to grab one of Shahman's fins as he shot through the air in response, "You've done it now!" 

Two giant bursts of flame leaped towards us 

"Aaaagh!! Up! UP!" I cried, but was I listened to? 

Of course not. 

Shahman dived, rocketing towards the ground, the pair of flamethrowers missing my head by inches. 

That was the second time today! 

I promised myself then and there that I would _never _go _anywhere _without any of my lucky charms _ever _again. 

Without warning, we abruptly arched up again, as blast upon blast followed us around the room. 

Shahman avoided each attack nimbly, "Piece of cake." He murmured, rolling his eyes. 

I on the other hand, wasn't entirely convinced. Those flames were getting _way _too close for my liking. 

We accelerated through the air, the Charizard bellowing as he furiously flew after us gaining speed with every second, till I swore I could feel his sweltering breath against my back. Shahman whipped around in a full 360 degrees turn, almost hurling me off his back in the process. His silver tail slammed into the Charizard's face, sending him into a chaotic spin. The beast hollered in pain, Shahman shot upwards, wheeled around and blasted out a shining moonbeam. The attack exploded on impact, the fire beast screamed, and was hurled to the ground, crashing to the floor not far from where the typhlosion stood, building up for another flamethrower.

"Hey!" I whined, "How come moonbeam works now but not before?"

Ignoring my complaints, Shahman grinned, "Hah! He ain't got _nothin'_ on me!" 

Luke scowled, "Return Char!" The unconscious creature disappeared in a red luminance. "Moltr-" 

"Don't bother," Lillia barked, "_I'll _take care of this." 

"Be my guest," The male Rocket muttered. 

She grabbed another pokeball, "Deidra! GO!" 

The august form of a yellow, small winged Dragonite appeared beside a pissed off looking Typhlosion. "Destroy her!" Lillia ordered. 

My eyes widened and a small cry slipped from between my lips, "Now what genius?"

"Leave it to me," the lunar dragon assured. 

"Oh jeese. I'm gonna die." 

They charged. 

Typhlosion leapt, airborne, he sneered, brandishing an array of sharp glittering teeth. Clawed arms struck towards us. 

"Whoa!" Caught off guard, we narrowly missed being sliced to ribbons. 

"I thought you knew what you were doing!" I wailed, as Shahman swept into the air, away from those deadly claws. 

"Well I wasn't expecting that!"

Deidra swooped down upon us from behind, electricity shooting at us from between her antennae. 

Learnt from a stolen TM no doubt. 

Shahman swung around again, his pulsating tail colliding into the Dragonite at the same instant the lightning bolt struck us. We screamed. Shahman convulsed painfully. I could hear Deidra's shrieks of agony. I was too shocked myself to do anything but clutch desperately onto my dragon's silver body. We pelted towards the ground at shocking speed, the building around us a whir before my eyes. We were a tangled mess off scales, limbs and wings tumbling through the air. We hit the floor with a crash. The wind exploded from my lungs as I smashed into a collapsed row of chairs, agony erupted across my body and my vision blurred. 

It was hard to breathe. Gasping for air, I tried to sit up, sharp pain knifed into my chest, I felt like I had broken a rib, no, make that several ribs. I heard footsteps rush to my side. A face, another trainer perhaps, appeared over me. 

"Are you ok?" The face demanded, "Help is on the way, don't worry. We'll take care of these assholes."

Where were you when we needed you? I felt like screaming, but my strength had all but gone. With a moan I twisted my head. Shahman and Deidra lay in a tangled heap. My pokemon uttered a small groan and struggling to his feet, he didn't notice the purple creature, its collar alive with flames, gleefully descend upon him. 

NO! 

I parted my lips but managed nothing more than a strangled cry. 

The typhlosion was getting closer. 

"Mo… moon…_MOONBEAM!!"_ I screamed frantically. 

Shahman turned weakly, startled, "Huh?" His eyes widened as he saw his attacker, opened his mouth, shot out an attack. 

Missed. 

Again. 

Missed. 

"COO!"

"CUUUUUNOOO!!!" An blue energy beam from across the room suddenly crushed the typhlosion against the opposite wall, encasing him in ice. 

"Good job Artemis." 

I turned to see Tempest limping across the room, her fatigued bird flapping just above her. 

I flashed a weary smile in thanks before crawling to where Shahman had collapsed with exhaustion. 

"Damnit!" Lillia swore, "Return, you good for nothing spark plug!" 

TTSSSSOOOOP! 

The fire type disappeared in a red luminance. The ice remained upon the wall. 

Lillia backed away, eyeing the trainers who had slowly begun to converge upon them, holding their pokeballs menacingly. She grabbed Luke by the arm, "Well, looks like this is where we say goodbye!" Turning, the two made an attempt for their aircraft but were instead ran headlong into the jelly-like gut of a snorlax who had suddenly materialised behind them. 

"What the?" The pink head woman shrieked, incredulous."

"Oh dear…" Sighed Luke. 

The owner of the snorlax, a fifteen year old boy with dark brown hair ordered, "Snore, grab em before they get away."

Before either Rocket could move, the huge pokemon's arms swept down, grabbed each by the shirt collar and hefted them into the air. They dangled there, kicking and punching furiously in a futile attempt to break free. 

At that instant, a new voice echoed across the hall. "Halt where you are!" 

I turned curiously, was it my imagination or did that voice belong to... 

"Officer Jenny!" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to dive behind a pile of rubble. 

The blue haired policewoman's motorcycle flew over the mountain of wreckage which split the hall in two, the engine revved as it sailed through the air, their wheels spinning furiously. The pokemon parted respectfully as she landed, "You two are officially under arrest!" She declared, wheeling to a halt in front of the surrounded thieves. 

Lillia raised an eyebrow, "Under arrest? Officially?" A malicious grin spread across her arrogant features. "I rather think not." 

She reached for her pokeballs. Luke did likewise. 

"Oh bloody hell! Give it up already!" Tempest snapped, "You're outnumbered, outmatched, and furthermore, _you're _the ones dangling from the paws of a _snorlax_for chrisake!" 

The two Team Rockets glanced at the encircling trainers, each other, and sighing, replied, "Oh all right, all right. Can't say we didn't try though." 

I sighed with relief, painfully pushing myself to my feet. I stumbled across the remaining distance towards my dragon, wincing as I collapsed beside him in a mass of sore limbs. 

"Had your fun?" I asked ruefully, stroking his scales. 

He shrugged, "So so." 

I rolled my eyes. "Your impossible." Withdrawing his pokeball, I returned him. There was a flash of silver and he vanished. The ball shrunk and I clipped it to my belt. 

Sirens shrilled in the distance, ambulance, police, and firefighters. A hum of excited voices began to build within what was left of Ebonisa. The remaining trainers picked their way through the rubble, climbing carefully over the makeshift barricade segregating the two areas of the hall. Officer Jenny scrawled statements from various others into her spiral bound notebook, while she left the two Rockets swinging from the arms of the snorlax. 

I shook my head in disbelief. 

What a fucking day. 


	4. The Journey Begins!

**_Tuesday Morning. _****_10:30 am_****_. 3rd of January._**

**_Indigo Plateau_**

**Tempest**

I spent two days healing myself and Artemis at the PokeCentre. Hers injuries were nothing a few max revives couldn't handle and my own- well lets just say, when you're a god, miracles happen. But as we were in the vicinity of a Centre, it was wise to take advantage of Nurse Joy's healing abilities. Before leaving the Plateau on my new journey however, I had promised Officer Jenny that I'd meet her again to smooth out a few more details concerning Sunday's incident. Luckily there had been no deaths and only a few injuries - and they were minor compared to what _might _have happened. I waited beneath the cool shade of a conifer tree outside the police station. I shook my head, the Sunday's events not quite registering. Where once a magnificent giant of a building had towered into the horizon only a few days before a dilapidated shell was all that remained. The Indigo League committee would have a hard time restoring the hall to its former glory. No one had been able to explain the freak earthquake and after watching the news and questioning a few people myself, I'd discovered that it had affected the entire region in various degrees. The Centre had only suffered minor shaking, whilst farmsteads from the plain-lands had been forced to rebuild new walls and fences. Everyone was completely bewildered, earthquakes didn't occur in this part of the world. It was just bloody unnatural. 

"Tempest!"

I turned, "Oh, it's you." 

Mei Ling came striding up the pathway, green hair shining in the sun, those colgate whites flashing, eyes furtive. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked, eyebrow raised. 

"Jenny called, said she wanted to talk to me about something." She looked like she was about to bolt any second.

I checked my new watch, "Bloody hell, it's 10:30 already!" 

That pesky officer was wasting my bloody time! Doesn't she _know _I had more important things to do? I had people to beat, badges to win!

The station's door opened. 

"Ah! Girls, good morning. I hope you don't mind, this will only take a few moments or so." Officer Jenny stepped out into the sunlight, her curly blue hair in a pig tail which poked out from the back of her police hat. 

*        *        *

I leaned against the tree's massive trunk, arms folded, one foot cocked against it, bored expression. Officer Jenny droned on, asking various questions about the two Rockets whose asses we, ahem, _I_ had recently kicked. Sorry, my ego gets the better of me sometimes. 

"I hope you realize that what you did put the whole of the people in the meeting in jeopardy?" The boring young woman nagged. Her blue uniform creased perfectly. 

Bloody hell woman! You've said this before! If this little interview was going to be a monologue, why did she need me? 

"Everyone was already in jeopardy anyway." Mei Ling pointed out hesitantly. 

"Even so, if they would have fired that superweapon, you, and everyone in that room would have been history." She gave us the 'Damn irresponsible teenagers' look, crinkling the corners of her bright violet eyes. 

I stifled a yawn. 

"But, what you did was also courageous, and we'd like to reward your bravery with this. That's the real reason I brought you down to the station." 

The both of us snapped to attention at the word 'reward'. Officer Jenny clicked her fingers, and immediately the station's door opened with a creak and a well muscled Arcanine trotted up to us, carrying a shiny steel suitcase between his teeth. 

Oooh, interesting. 

Gripping the suitcase, she decoded the lock and it snapped open. 

My eyes widened, as she handed us our rewards, new PokeGear 

"Snazzy." 

I delightedly switched my old tattered torn bag for the cool gold backpack with computerized map, cell phone, radio and a whole heap of other helpful stuff. Mei Ling grabbed the silver one next to it and started placing in her things. 

"Hey!" I yelped as I recognized my watch on her slender wrist. I fixed her with a stony glance. 

Mei Ling returned an innocent expression, then turned to the police officer, "So what about that freaky weather and that earthquake? What the hell happened?" 

Jenny scratched her head, "We still haven't quite figured that out yet. But our meteorologists and geologists are working on that at this very moment. We're lucky no one got seriously injured. It'll take a long time before the region gets back to normal though. The people are very worried."

With a sigh, she placed her hands on her slender hips, smiling warmly, "Now I'd better not keep you from your journey. I wish you best of luck," Closing the lid of the steel suitcase, she smoothed her short police uniform down to perfection and was about to turn away when; 

"Why! If it isn't my favourite Officer of the Law!" 

"Oh god, it better not be who I think it is." I muttered. 

Blondey came skipping down the path and halted beside the policewoman. 

"You're looking more beautiful everyday!" He grinned, gone were the black sunglasses, revealing vacant sapphire eyes. 

Officer Jenny sighed, "Save the flattery Mr Templeton, I'm really busy right now." 

She walked off, and with a creak as she swung open the door, re-entered the police station with a _bam_.  

The trainer stared longingly after her, "She likes me. Yeah, she definitely likes me." 

I snorted, "Didn't sound that way from this angle." 

"Can't take rejection very well, huh?" Mei Ling remarked, an amused expression on her face. 

"What are you talking about," He replied, "She likes me." 

"Well," Blondey rubbed his hands together, business like. 

I contemplated. To piss off with, or not to piss off with, that was the question. 

"Now that we're all here, let's go." he said. 

"What!?" I exclaimed incredulously, "Who said you were coming with us? In fact, who said I was going with anyone!" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I don't even know who you are." 

The blonde looked mildly hurt, "I," He began, mocking a bow, "Am Seth Templeton, trainer of dog pokemon, and future Elite Four member. Don't worry, you might not like me now, but you will, few can resist my legendary charm, famous good looks and cutting wit." 

He waved to a tall, big breasted brunette making her way across the street, "Hey Babe." 

She looked down at him disgustedly, as if she'd found a little green frog named Seth between her tits, "Don't talk to me." 

The self opinionated trainer turned back to us shrugging, "Ex-girlfriend." He explained. 

"You know, we might as well travel together," Mei Ling suggested, "If we don't, we get disqualified." 

I only growled in response. This was not going to be easy. 

"That's the spirit!" Seth encouraged, "We'll be pals! Buddies! Mates! A team! Oh! Check out the stems on her!" 

_Yoink_! 

"Hey! Mei Ling! Give me back my cell phone!" 

"You! Let go of my arm!" 

*      *      * 

"So," the prick Seth grinned from the ground, being propped up on his elbows. "Where to first." He stretched out what was left of his map which had been reduced to slightly charred tatters. Mei Ling leaned over his shoulder while Seth took a good perve. 

If he didn't watch it, he'd be electrocuted, frozen, fried, baked and hell knows what else before he could blink. I'd make sure of that. 

I ignored both of them. I knew where I was going, the Iris League; a group of meteors that were suspended between the Earth and the moons gravity. After they were discovered, a large deposit of Moonstones were found and people and Pokemon began to populate them. Since then, the Iris League had become hugely popular. 

I knew why I was going there, Ho-oh. The Solar type bird of the Wings of Council. I salivated at the thought. 

Shaking my head at the pair before me, I looked up into the sky. 

"Hey Coo-ee time to go!" An instant later, the only Shirasharmi in the world swept from the sky and onto my outstretched arm. He resembled a peacock, but not much larger then from my elbow to my wrist, though his tail vaunted in a wide arc behind him. His plumage was beautiful. Vibrant hues painted his body the color of dusk. Not just the royal blue or the pastel pink, but the actual sunset. At the base of his breast was a large burnt orange disk that resembled the sun. The orange evanesced into a golden yellow, the yellow into a sanguinary crimson, the scarlet faded into a pink and the pink into an eggplant purple until his head was a spectacular midnight blue. Raging red eyes were hidden amid the sleek blue feathers. His wings were elegant and perfectly formed. The tips of Coo-ee's feathers were tongues of violent red flames draping down while the contours were a deep sapphire flecked with silver. His tail was stunning. I scratched him beneath his crest, just where he liked it. The same sun disk on his breast decorated the base of his tail until it blended into the lapis blue. 

His eyes closed as he relaxed. "What was the big shindig about?"he drawled with his Down Under, true blue Metone accent. 

"They're selecting new members for the Elite Four. Only the most worthy will get in," I smiled. "And we both know who that's going to be." 

"You know, we really oughtta do somethin 'bout that ego of yours, it's gonna end up crushing all of the Eight Leagues."

"Correction, Geneva League." I laughed at an old joke. As a puzzled expression crossed his face I continued. "The Professors of the Eight Leagues decided to combine them into one, the Geneva. If I wanna be an Elite four I have to earn all the Badges." I sighed annoyed. "But I've got to follow some other rules or I'm disqualified. One of them says I gotta travel with two others 'for my safety'," I mocked Professor Oak, rolling my eyes back at Shit and Mei Ling. 

"G'day Mei. Ow's 'em dragons?" 

"Yeah, they're alright, Coo-ee. How 'bout you? You're lookin' absolutely fantastic." Flatterer. 

I fished my map out of my pack and a black felt marker. 

"Done!" A big black cross through the Orange Island League. 

"Done!" The Kanto League was out with a scribble. 

"Done!" Bye bye Johto. 

"And done!" I declared disdainfully as I blotted out the Metone League. All I had left were the Leagues of the North. Most people hadn't done more then one League so I was already ahead. 

"Wow." Mei Ling spotted my map, uncomfortable, "That's uh, a lot of leagues."

"Oh, I beat them eons ago," Seth interjected carelessly. 

I snorted. I'd watched the news. Seth had completed the Metone League only two weeks ago after an entire year. Hah! I did it in one summer, well, not quite. 

"Look," I glared. "You might like me, but I don't like you. The only reason I'm going with you is because it's a choice between you fools and my licence being revoked. So if we're going to do this, it's my way. Got it?" 

Mei Ling rolled her eyes, an irritating smirk played across her features. She shrugged, turning away as she was preoccupied with an unsuspecting by-passer's pockets and murmured idly, "Expand your vocabulary Tempest my dear, I prefer the expression; my way or the highway." 

"Chill out, baby!" Seth leered at me. "Anywhere she goes, I go." He nodded in Mei Ling's direction. 

"Ugh!" I muttered disgustedly. "Well if you're a dog trainer, I don't know how _you're _going to get to the Iris Island League." I returned Coo-ee, and released Artemis, smoothly vaunting between her plumes and straddling her back. She cooed as I rubbed her neck. Her charred feathers had rapidly grown back and were ready to fly. 

"Where to, Tempest?" she murmured pleased I'd chosen her. I admit, (Ha! That's something you don't hear too often from me) I admit, my birds don't like each other. 

Alright, that was the understatement of the century. 

They detest, despise, loath each other. The only one each of them gets along with is Coo-ee. 

"Hey, I have an idea," Mei Ling suggested, one hand on her hip, the other examining her nails and a newly acquired ring, "Why don't we ride to Iris in style?" 

"What?" I retorted, "My birds aren't stylish enough for you're pompous, aristocratic taste?" 

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "Don't be an idiot. I was referring to Luxury Liners. They're the best cruisers in the world, indoor Anti-Gravitation Pool, mini-cinema complex, a mall, Johto Restaurant, it's first class all the way." 

"Mmm, sounds cool." Seth mused, stroking his chin, although I could see he wasn't staring directly at her face. 

I scowled in repulsion, "Oh yeah because we _all _have Daddy's big pay cheques to rely on. Forget it Mei Ling, get on one of your dragon's or get the hell out."

The thief looked disappointed, then brightened as another idea flashed through her unethical skull.

"No." I snapped firmly.

Her shoulders visibly sagged.


	5. Domestic Disturbances

**Mei****Ling**

Aw man. She took the fun out of everything. 

Tempest sat on the back of Artemis, arms folded. I shivered, even from this distance; I could feel the cold surrounding the ice bird. 

I, in turn, let out Shahman, "'Hello again." He murmured. 

I turned to Seth, "You're a dog trainer aren't you? You won't have a pokemon that's flies huh? You'll have to come with either of us." 

"Oh...... You can come with me." Tempest's rubbed her hands together, smiling ominously, "I won't hurt you..." Her smile melted into a big malicious grin, a maniacal glint appeared in her eyes. 

I shuddered, I could just imagine what might happen if Seth went with her. How would I ever be able to explain to the law _and_ his parents that his being pushed from a hundred feet in the air was purely an, ahem, accident? 

"Uh, no it's all right." Seth said, glancing wearily at Tempest, "But I actually _do_ have a ride. It's just that I don't use him very often, he's a bit....." 

"Stupid?" Tempest supplied, looking at him snootily. 

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of _distracted._" 

I shrugged, "Whatever, just get him out." 

"Um, O.K." Seth agreed uncomfortably, "Ed! Come on out!" 

The ginormous form of a Gryffon materialised beneath the shade of two willow trees. He was big. And when I say big, I mean BIG. Big as in towering fifteen feet tall. 

BIG. 

The top half of his body resembled that of an arcanine. Scarlet fur radiated a warm luminance, large green stripes streaked across his back, his canine face was encircled in a mane of flickering flames. His appearance of a dog ended around his midsection, the rest of his body were the claws and golden brown feathers of a giant bird. Huge wings nestled in the middle of his back. 

The pokemon was hunched on the ground, a large novel of some sort held in his dog-like arms. His purple eyes pouring over the pages. 

"Uh, Hi Ed! C'mon let's get going to the Iris League!" Seth forced an encouraging smile. It was clear that he hadn't trained this pokemon as well as he should have.

Not that _I _was one to talk. 

Captivated by his book, Ed didn't look up, didn't even make any indication that he had heard his trainer. 

"Um.... Ed?" 

Without looking away from his novel, the pokemon replied, "Shut-up you big retard, I'm trying to read." 

I burst into laughter. My god, it was so much funnier when it was happening to someone _else _for a change! 

Seth scratched his head, having no idea of what to do next. 

"You might as well return him." Tempest suggested arrogantly, "Looks like he's too busy for you." 

Grumbling, Seth held out his rouge pokeball and the gryffon disappeared in a zap of red light. 

"C'mon, you can ride with me." I said. 

"Jeese, finally we can get going!" Tempest said, exasperated. 

I waited for Seth to leap up behind me before we soared through the air towards the distant specks that was the Iris Islands in the sky, Shaman's lithe body cutting smoothly through the blue sky. 

**Seth**

So there I was, Seth Templeton. Master of Dog pokemon, the coolest, most talented, cutest guy ever to compete in the Geneva League. Oh yeah, that's right. You better believe it baby, sometimes, when I look into the mirror, I even stun myself. I _am _the next Brad Pitt. 

But not only am I that I am a trainer of unique skill and ability. Probably the best in the land, I'm a seasoned pro, four leagues left to conquer? Hah! I could beat them while brushing my hair. 

You're probably wondering why such a handsome guy like me would have such a passion for pokemon? Sometimes I even wonder myself, I mean, with looks like mine I'd make a fortune as an actor! 

Yet pokemon's my main priority. Girls a close second... Hey, as if you didn't see _that _coming? 

On a serious note, my aim in life is to become the world's greatest dog trainer, the greatest that ever lived. It had been my goal ever since the age of seven, when I'd befriended an old friend Farimes. 

Man, Farimes, you're the bomb, my inspiration, my freakin' idol. When I was seven, my folks had decided to go on a holiday to the Orange Islands, of course, even then being the daredevil and gorgeous adventurer that I am, I'd wandered away from my family and had become lost on a strip of beach I hadn't even known had existed. I hadn't actually seen myself lost as such, more as 'exploring a new country', 'expanding my horizons'. Anyway, I'd stumbled upon a fisherman relaxing against a bank of rocks, arms behind his head, legs crossed, the waves licking at his bare feet, warming himself in the rays of the sun. His worn out straw hat shaded his face, and his tattered sailor's clothes _reeked_ of saltwater and seafood. His fishing rod dug into the sand beside him, he stress-free atmosphere about him, a contentment. 

All of a sudden, his rod began to shake, and he turned to me, inclining his head, "Yo! Boy! Ya minda ifa ya getta thata for me?" 

Of course I obliged, I mean, what else could I do? I might've been young but I had enough sense to know it was pointless to argue with the man, so running towards the fishing rod, I grabbed it before it was pulled into the ocean. 

So that's how it began. I stayed and fished with him and he introduced himself. His name was "Farimes Long-Javelli" Sailor by day, womaniser and pokemon dog trainer by night. As I fished, he told me stories of all his adventures and my little mind had been blown away. They were awesome! He wove tales of adventure and passion that from the day forth, I vowed to become the world's best dog trainer, like him. 

Twice he had been the orange island champion. But, after his 'mamma' got sick, was forced to retire to care for her. In my opinion, Farimes was one cool cat. He introduced me to all his pokemon and told me the tale of the Six Legendary Dogs, Raikou, Suicune, Entie, Penumbra, Gryffon, and Anima and I knew that someday those dogs would be mine.

I was forced to return to my parent's camp at sun down. They were worried sick, terrified that I might have had a run in with a wild gyrados. 

I never saw or heard from Farimes again. 

Now, ten years later, I was on the back of a silver dragon, five of the six legendary dogs in my possession, sitting behind the most gorgeous girl ever to be honoured with my presence. 

You might think I'm full of myself. And you'd be quite right. I just can't help it. Not gloating is a hard thing to do. With silky blonde hair cut to the latest fashion, amazing fashion sense, and blue eyes that could melt ice, can you blame me? I'd realized early in life that not everyone was blessed with my good looks.

I admired the back of Mei Ling's beautiful head, her long ivy green hair was now in a delicate braid, cascading down the middle of her back. Loose strands of hair fluttered in the biting wind. We were on out way towards the Rainbow Islands, where the Iris League awaited. Tempest on the back of her articuno flew not far behind us, the ground loomed thousands of metres below, buildings and trees, mere specks on the earth's surface. Flying was a wonderful experience if only it didn't mess my hair so much. 

Mei Ling glanced at the tiny landscape below, and I heard her gulp nervously, "No showing off now, Shah. I still haven't recovered from your last escapade." 

I laughed, smoothing back my hair, "Don't worry Mei, if you fall, I catch you." 

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried." She replied wryly. 

Heh heh heh, she was beginning to like me already. Ah, the wonders of being me. 

"Hey, what's that?" Mei Ling pointed at two distance figures battling in the sky above us. 

Tempest gasped, "Oh my god!" 

My eyes bulged, "Whoa! It's Ho-oh and Celestrial!" 

A wide grin spread across Tempest's mouse-like features, "Am I lucky or what? Two for the price of one. They're as good as mine!" 

Artemis screeched out a cry of determination, "C'mon, you've been waiting for this for along time! Let's go!" 

With a flap of crystal wings, the bird picked up speed, rocketing through the sky. 

"C'mon Shahman! Follow em!" I urged. 

The dragon looked back at me, "Who the hell do you think you are?" 

Before I could cut the insolent pokemon with my cutting wit, Mei Ling cried, "Just follow em, Shah!" 

Giving me a last glare, he shot after Artemis and Tempest. 

I poked out my tongue, when his head was turned of course, I might've been rebellious but I wasn't stupid. No one in their right mind wanted to be blasted to a crisp by a Moonbeam attack. 

We whistled through the air, everything a blur before me, the wind howling in my ears, my teeth chattered, Mei Ling's hair came undone and streamed into my face. Tickling my nose and cheeks, but I didn't let go of Shahman's back, otherwise it would've been Bye Bye Seth. 

We abruptly came to a halt. 

Whoomph! 

I crashed into Mei Ling's back. 

"Sorry." 

We were poised in the air, staring at the spectacle unfold before our eyes. Tempest, hovering beside us on Artemis, practically drooled with longing, "You beauty," she murmured. 

Two of the mightiest birds of the Wings of Council went full out on each other. 

Jerry Springer, here we come!

"You _whore!_ How dare you show your ugly face while I'm around!" 

"Fuck you." 

"TSWEEEW!" A flap of mesmerising black feathers, the Dark type, Celestrial attacked. His awesome presence commanded power, and the effect of light upon his midnight feathers cast the illusion of a million stars clustered in the inky abyss of a swarthy night sky. His renowned collar of onyx scythes began at the base of his neck and as they clawed forward, narrowed until they were like a single row of feathers that ended just above his fierce black eyes. 

Celestrial was the ultimate bird of prey. A born hunter. 

He spread his massive star tipped wings, huge silver feathered ruff with sharp ear-like crests erect, his obsidian bladed tail streamed behind him as he shot towards Ho-oh, his savagely hooked beak opened and thundered out a powering Vesper attack. 

Ho-oh, the exact opposite in appearance, veered upwards, her rainbow feathers shone brilliantly in the rays of the sun. Her fanned tail swept behind her like a circular pond of sparkling gold. Her wings tipped with peacock green flared outwards as she nimbly avoided Celestrial's attack, her delicately arched neck, flourished with teal, stretched to its maximum length in an attempt to gain altitude quickly. She banked left as another black beam almost singed her wings. In one smooth movement she wheeled around. 

"That's it! I'm done with playing around with your pissy little attacks!" 

With a massive downward stroke, tongues of golden flames flickered to life and flashed through the air. 

Simultaneously from below, Celestrial screeched. "I'll show you a pissy little attack!" He snapped his wings together with a deafening crack, his black eyes flashed dangerously, and suddenly; STWEEEE!!! An ebony beam tore its way through the air! The two powers collided, exploding into a blinding ball of clashing light. 

BOOOOM!!! 

We watched in rapt fascination as the two titanic birds of legend displayed a stunning light show of a myriad of colourful attacks. 

The two fought like territorial cats, their actions oozing vehemence as they tore at each other's throat. Typically, Tempest wore a grin fit for a madman. Gripping two of her empty ultra balls she cried, "Go!" 

She pitched them forward, Celestrial and Ho-oh absently waved the two balls away, as if merely swatting flies. 

Their attention was completely fixed on each other.

"This is _my_ territory! Get the hell out!" 

"You ain't King of the skies you dumb bird! As far as I'm concerned this is everyone's highway!" 

"I hate you!" 

"_I_ hate _you!!_" 

"Damn it!" Tempest muttered as she watched her pokeballs fall to the ground thousands of feet below. Hah! The amazing Tempest wasn't as amazing after all! 

"Hey! You two wasted my ultraballs! You might as well give up now because you've got _no _chance of escaping from _me! _I am Tempest, and you guys are as good as mine!" 

Of course, they payed her no heed.

The two birds glared at each other, I could've sworn I saw a jagged bolt of electricity pass between them. 

"Oh Yeah!?" 

"Yeah!!" 

_"OH YEAH!!?"_

_"YEAH!!!"_

"You're mine!" Tempest threw a masterball this time. 

"Not if _I _have anything to do about it!" I retorted, whipping out my own. Call me spiteful, but there was no way she was gonna have the satisfaction of catching two of the legendary birds of the wings of council without a rival. So, being the person that I am, I felt obligated to fill the role of her contender. 

WHOOSH! 

The two sailed through the air, I watched earnestly as they flew, seemingly in slow motion, neck in neck towards Celestrial and Ho-oh. 

"_Come on!" _I urged. 

"Get there first you bloody masterball!" Tempest ordered. 

With an audible _click_ the two collided into each other, and tumbled to the ground. 

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Tempest wailed, an expression of agony and loss distorted her features. She whipped around, jabbing an accusing finger, simultaneously withering me with a black look, _"You!"_

I gulped nervously and gave her a weak grin. 

She screeched, "You owe me a masterball!" 

I snorted, "What? Me? Owe you a masterball? Someone's delusional!" 

"You do to!" 

"Do not!" 

_"Do to!"_

_"Do not!"_

"Why do I get the feeling of _de ja vu_?" Mei Ling wondered. 

Celestrial and Ho-oh hovered inches from each other, man, if death stares could kill, they'd both be deader than, well, something dead. 

_"Oh yeah!"_

_"Yeah!"_

_"O-H Y-E-A-H!!!?"_

_"Y-E-A-H!!!!!!"_

"Fine then." 

"Fine." 

"Have it your way." 

"Yes." 

"Bye." 

"Bye." 

Eh? 

"Wow, that was a bit of an anti climax." Mei Ling remarked. 

The two abruptly turned away from each other and flew in opposite directions. I looked confusedly at the dragon trainer. "Why couldn't they have just done that in the first place?" She wondered. 

Tempest yelled, "OH NO!" Looking frantically at the retreating tail feathers of Celestrial, then Ho-oh, then Celestrial again, she was torn between two choices. Screaming in frustration at the sky, "BLOODY HELL!!! WHY ME!!!!???" Then sped off after Ho-oh. 

"After her!" Mei Ling ordered her Shahman. 

We rocketed through the sky, the wind biting into my face. Oh man! It was totally going to wreck my style! A mirror! I needed a mirror! 

**Tempest**

VROOM!! 

Off we went. I kept my eyes firmly planted on the receding figure of Ho-oh. 

"Faster Artemis!" I urged. 

"I'm sorry Tempest, but I can't go any faster than I am already! You have _no_ idea how hard it was to hover in the air. My wings are killing me!" 

I grumbled under my breath. I wasn't exactly pissed off at her, but mainly at the fact that I had just about had two of the legendary birds that I _didn't_ have, in the palm of my hand. 

I blamed Seth. If he hadn't screwed my chances, they would have been mine, mine I tell you! 

I ground my teeth, when I get to Iris I was gonna pound the bugger.... 

Ho-oh swooped into a low patch of damp white clouds. I swore as I lost her in the mist. 

"What is this - bush week? Where the hell did she go?!" I cried. Searching about in the fog. My clothes had become damp, and, added to Artemis's cold aura, it had suddenly become unbearable cold.

Mei Ling's Shahman, herself, and Shit appeared beside me. 

"Man, hurry up and catch em already." Mei Ling shivered, "Its almost lunchtime and I'm hungry!" 

"Shut ya bloody hole." My teeth chattered. I hugged myself in an attempt to keep warm.

"Shut _your_ hole." 

"Why don't the both of you shut up." Seth suggested, irritated. 

"Shut-up." Me and Mei Ling retorted simultaneously. 

There! A faint glimmer of colour amongst the haziness, I ordered Artemis forward, but just as suddenly as it had appeared, the figure disappeared once again. 

I ground my teeth. 

"Tempest." Artemis remarked, "At the rate you're going, you won't have any teeth left _to_ grind." 

I ignored her and stared stonily at the place where Ho-oh had just been. An icy gust laughed at me, blowing my blue-black hair into my face, my scruffy blue fringe fell into my eyes. The clouds began to disperse leaving me hanging in the emptiness of a clear blue sky. Ho-oh was nowhere in sight. 

"Oh great." Mei Ling muttered sarcastically, "Does anyone see a Ho-oh? _I_ don't see a Ho-oh! How 'bout you Seth? Do _you_ see a Ho-oh? I know, why don't we put an advertisement in the Pokemon Times? Yeah, I can see it now; 'Missing: One Legendary bird by name of Ho-oh. Possible reason of absence: Domestic argument with another _other_ legendary bird! Man, how could I have forgotten! We're _also_ missing a Celestrial! You there! Yes you in the red hat! You wouldn't of happened to have seen an, oh I dunno, a _Celestrial_perchance would you? No? None at all? I see... Look Tempest, three words for you; 

Get. Over. It. 

Let's just freakin' get outta here already! I'm hungry and we've got a damn gym to find, trainers to beat and badges to steal, uh, earn!" 

I ground my teeth. 

Shahman soared upwards. Grudgingly, I followed. 

"What's that?" Seth pointed to a road of splashing colours curving into the sky. 

"Bloody hell!" I groaned, "Don't you know anything? Man, you couldn't fart into a bottle!" 

The drongo gave me a weird look. "Can you?" 

"It's Rainbow road," I supplied, ignoring his remark, "It's the only way you can get to the Iris Islands, each of the seven colours lead to a different meteor island. We've got to follow the rainbow till we get to the first meteor, it's Aspiration Island I think, then the colours will split, each hue will become a path of its own leading to a different meteor." 

Seth absorbed this information into his teeny tiny brain. "So where first?" 

"We'll stop at Aspiration first," Mei Ling piped up, "I gotta catch up with a few... people..." She sounded evasive, not that I cared or anything, as far as I was concerned, I wanted to go straight to Evergreen Island, where the first gym was. 

We glided towards the vivid rainbow, the warm thermals guided us higher, until we were right above the colourful road. 

"Hmmm, is that solid?" Seth mused. 

"Why don't you step on it and find out?" I dared him. 

He looked at me warily, not for the first time I can assure you. 

"Chill out, babe." 

"Of course it's not solid you bloody idiot, this is a rainbow, so it's just a reflection of the dampness hanging in the air. But the thing about _this_ particular rainbow is that it's frozen in suspended animation, so it will not fade away over time, and remain like this forever to direct trainers to the Iris League. Without it, the Iris Islands would be lost forever because no one bloody knows where it's actually located. For some odd reason, compasses cease to work up here and people _and _pokemon lose their sense of direction, making it almost impossible for people to plot a correct direction towards Iris." I flicked my hair haughtily across my shoulder before continuing, "How it's frozen like that is a complete mystery. No one knows for sure, some people reckon a celebi did it. I'm not convinced though."

The unchanging tone of Shahman's voice spoke up, "That pestering brat Ned did it. For a fee of course, greedy bastard." 

Artemis nodded, "Yeah, if it's ever a pokemon who's more disgraceful than that stuck-up bitch, Sharmishira, it's him. He manipulated the rainbow, then froze them in time. I've never known a pokemon to do all that for just fifty quid." 

"Whose Ned?" Mei Ling asked as we soared over the rainbow, following its beautiful path of colours. 

"Ned is the new Keeper of Time." Shahman answered, "What you humans call, Celebi. Ned's the new one. Old Pete died a few councils ago." 

"So the stories are true!" My eyes widened, "How come you never said anything before Artemis?"

"Well, you never really asked, dear." 

After a moment of silent flying, Mei Ling mused out loud, "You pokemon are more attuned with nature right?" 

"I guess," Artemis agreed. 

"Well, what was that weather all about? The earthquakes, the sky, everything. What was going on?" 

There was an uneasy silence between the two pokemon, "We don't know. But something's happening, I, _we,_ can feel it. The world is changing. Something big is happening." 

"Any ideas as to what?" Seth asked.

Artemis shook her head, "Not a clue."

I focused my attention on the first meteor the rainbow led to, it loomed ahead of us. It was a huge reddish brown rock hanging in midair, only the top half was populated. Hundreds of white washed cement buildings towered into the sky, it was the largest meteor in Iris and one of the biggest commercial centres in the world. As we drew closer to the island, the skies began to fill with people on flying pokemon, aircrafts zoomed around us. Below, I could see the dirty paved streets of Aspiration Island, millions of people hurried between its steel skyscrapers in an endless rat race. 

We descended towards a clear patch of artificial grass in the middle of a littered park and landed between a large oak tree and a man-made pond. 

Seth and Mei Ling leapt off Shahman's back, "Thanks buddy." Her Lunar dragon disappeared in a red beam which retreated back into her silver masterball. 

I recalled my articuno. Looking around, I gazed disgustedly at the flashing neon signs, the thousands of cars blaring their horns and bustling about, and the millions of people that scurried by, oblivious of the fact that the Master of the Wings of Council had just popped into town. Skyscrapers soared into the sky, structures and buildings of every shape and size loomed beside the filthy sidewalks. Despite being at least thirty-thousand kilometres into the air, amongst this urban jungle, I could hardly see the sky. Brown smog wafted through the atmosphere. I made a face. Yuck. 

"Why don't you guys go to the Deano's Arcade in City-Square?" Mei Ling suggested, "I'll meet you guys later, at say, 2 o'clock?" 

"Yeah O.K." Seth agreed. 

I glowered, "I'm _not_ going with him." 

Seth rolled his eyes, "Chill out babe!" 

"I'm going to check out the city." I muttered. "Alone." 

Mei Ling shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans, "Look, let's not split up too much, ok? I've been here before so I pretty much know my way around, and its easy for newcomers to get lost. I don't want to have to come looking for you." 

I ground my teeth. 

"Fine. 2:00 o'clock. Sharp. I don't want to be alone with this idiot longer than I have to be."


	6. Chaos & Aspirations

****

**_Tuesday, 12:00 o'clock PM, 1st of January_**

**_Aspiration_********_Island_**

**Mei****Ling**

Mmm, it was good to be back. 

No where else in the world were people more wealthy and corrupt. 

Aspiration was my home away from home. 

It was a city in a perpetual state of chaos, and without chaos, how could an honest thief make a living?

After directing Seth and Tempest towards the direction of City-Square, I'd set off on my own. My destination was the heart of the Island. 

First stop; the bank. Call me greedy, but I always took great delight in looking at all those zeroes.

Pausing, I stopped at a street corner, looking out for signs to make sure I was heading in the right direction. 

"Hey you! Learn how to drive!" 

"Shut the fuck up!" 

"Come over _here _and say that, you little wimp!" 

The language of the Islanders was as colourful as ever. A crowd of people charged down the street, sweeping me off with them. 

It was the perfect opportunity to give my extraordinary expertise some work. With fingers as nimble as mine, there was no chance in hell that I'd get caught. 

"Hey mister!" Said a pudgy little boy, tugging on the sleeve of the tall business man who'd been my latest victim, "She just took your wallet!" 

My jaw dropped open, "_YOU LITTLE...." _But before I could stranglethe brat till he was black and blue, he cried;"Aah! She's gonna hurt me! Mommy!" and ran behind an overweight lady in a sun-dress. He peeked out from behind her legs, a triumphant grin planted on his chubby face. 

"He's right!" The business man declared, "My wallet's missing!" 

A gasp ran through the crowd. 

"Oh come on people," I pleaded, as twenty or so enraged faces cornered me into, yes, you got it, a corner. "This is Aspiration, it's _not_ like you've _never_ been robbed before!" 

"Get her!"

"Aaaah!" I bolted. 

I flew down the street, a stampede of raging lunatics hot on my heels. 

Zoom! 

Hah! I laughed maniacally. I was unstoppable! A Master Thief on the run! _Nothing_ could get in my way! I was Queen of the Sidewalks! 

Whoomph! 

"NOOOO!" I tripped, and fell flat on my face. 

What a way to ruin a grand escape. 

I dug out my lucky starmie scale, kissing it fervently, "Come on lady luck, don't bail on me today!"

Shadows loomed above me, as I lay on the ground. Lips puckered, I froze, "Uh, hi." 

"There she is." 

"Well duh." I mumbled. 

"What do we do with her?" 

"Nothing that hurts." I suggested. 

They yanked me to my feet, "Give me back my wallet." The business man demanded. 

Grudgingly, I handed him my prize and replied lamely, "There was nothing interesting in there anyway." 

Death stare. 

I grinned weakly. 

"Get the hell out of here." I was pushed out of the crowd and hurled to the street. Brushing myself off snootily, I shouted, "Well fine! If that's the way you wanna be! The tourism industry is goin' down if you people are gonna be _this_ rude." And with a gesture of arrogance, defiance and superiority, I wheeled on my heel, chin up, and marched down the street, my pockets filled with their jewellery, watches and keys. As soon as I turned the corner, I bolted. 

I wouldn't be so lucky next time. 

*      *      *

I punched in my pin number and waited for the ATM machine to receive it. Numbers appeared on the green screen. 

_Please enter the amount you wish to transact. _

I pushed in the numbers, 2, 0, 0. 

Two hundred bucks. Mmmm, money. 

_Do you want a receipt?_

Yes of course I did. I waited for the machine to think before it spluttered out a pair of crisp green hundred dollar notes. A little white piece of paper popped out of the tiny slit just above the screen. 

Sliding the notes delicately into my wallet so as not to crease them, I studied the receipt. 

My eyes narrowed. 

What the?

Seven thousand dollars was missing. 

Howling in frustration, I scattered the pigdeys clambered on the street that an old lady was feeding. She looked up startled. 

I took no notice, literally seeing red. There was only one gang who had access to my account details, and that was because they practically _owned _the bank.

The Poppinjenellos bandits! 

And furthermore, how could they expect me _not _to find out?!

"Those idiots!" I clenched my jaw, stamped my feet and glared furiously at the ATM machine. Counting to ten, I took several deep breathes, calming down considerably. In my minds eyes, I gleefully envisioned what I could do to them. If they wanted to act like bastards, two could play at that game. 

**Seth**

"Eeek! There's no need to be hostile!" I yelped. 

The blue haired big-bosomed girl fixed me with an infuriating glare. "Get out of my face." 

I held up my hands in surrender, "No problemo!" 

Turning, I headed towards the front of the brightly lit arcade. Games and machines of all types lay clustered around the room. 

While Tempest was out bragging about her deeds, I'd decided to take up the opportunity and socialise. 

"Hey there!" I winked at a pretty little blonde girl sitting at a round table by the window. 

She glowered at me. 

Sheesh! What was wrong with these people? Didn't they know the hottest guy to ever walk into their lives had just arrived in the big city? 

I shook my head, "It must be the smog." 

Oooh!! Now that's something you don't see very often! 

She was beautiful. Her hair was an auburn red, glinting beneath the arcades lights. More importantly however, she was alone, leaning against the drinks and food bar. 

I trotted over to her, flashing a devastating grin, "Hey there, heaven must be missing an angel." 

She gave me an amused smile, what a pretty little thing. "Hi, you're the new guy. A breaker of hearts, or say they say." 

I winked, "I can't please everyone." 

"You're kinda cute, and you're so little!" 

I stopped, mouth hanging open. Now that couldn't be right. "Uh well.... I'm in town for a few days, how's about you and me hook up sometime?" 

She thought about it, "Oh I dunno, I've got a reputation to uphold." 

"C'mon!" I wheedled, "What do you think?" 

"I think many things." She replied obscurely, smoothing back her lustrous scarlet hair. 

"Please?" 

"Um…" 

"Pretty please?" 

"I donno… You're kinda small."

"O.K that's IT!!!" 

WHAM! 

The door of the arcade flung open! 

And guess who charged through like a rampaging Tauros? 

Tempest, who else? 

She stood in the doorway, outlined against the outside. Her fists clenched, steam practically rose from her ears, "I have had _enough_ of this place!" 

I cringed, for such a small person she had strong lungs. Please don't come near me, please don't come near me... 

She stormed towards me. 

Ah crap! 

"You have _NO_ idea how annoying these people are!" She exclaimed, infuriated. 

"Uh.... Tempest?" 

"If there weren't a law around this place, I'd fry, sizzle, and freeze everyone!" 

"Um..." 

"NOBODY knows who I am!" 

I gulped, "Tempest?" 

"WHAT!?" 

"If you don't keep it down, we'll get kicked out." 

"Oh yeah!!!??" 

I winced, "Yeah." 

She screamed and poked me painfully in the chest, "That's it! I've had enough of you too!" 

What? What did I do? I cast a fearful glance at the red head, whose eyes had grown wide with astonishment.

"We're taking this outside you bloody Banana Bender!" 

Oh man! 

**Mei****Ling**

Martinez restaurant. 

It loomed against the smog filled sky. Tall and dirty. It was a structure that had been renovated more than a zillion times. On the second floor was the Poppinjenellos hideout. It was surprising they hadn't been found out yet, the entire building reeked with dirty deeds and secret morally corrupt meetings.

Anger boiled up inside me. I'll show the bastards what happens when someone steals from Mei Ling! 

Deciding to make a grand entrance, I kicked open the door. 

It stubbornly remained shut. 

Swearing, I dragged my huge weapon behind me, opting for the more _stealthier_ approach. 

I turned the handle and let myself in. Unable to contain my rage however, I slammed the door shut. Customers and waiters looked up in surprise. 

"What are you looking at?" I challenged as I barraged through them.

I located the red carpeted staircase in the corner of the expensive restaurant, and stormed up there like a one man army. My weapon of mass destruction _clunked _as it hit each stair. 

"Excuse me miss! But you can't go up there!" Protested a tubby woman in a dirty apron. 

"Just watch me, bi-atch!" 

I made my way to the first door on landing. Pausing, I took a deep breath, and; CRASH!!!! 

Totally obliterated the door with my giant sledgehammer! 

Which I had funnily enough, found on the side of the road outside just waiting to be used as a weapon. I guess lady luck wasn't really ignoring me after all! 

Five unshaven men playing poker around a round wooden, jumped up startled. 

"Oh fuck! It's Mei Ling!" 

I grinned. 

"Look, we can explain!" 

"I'm listening." I dropped the sledgehammer and stampeded in, I charged towards the table, and, in the midst of my tantrum, kicked it over angrily. It crashed against one of the bare walls. Cards and coloured chips spilled across the floor. 

"Did you really expect me not to notice seven thousand bucks gone?"

A bald man scrambled for the door, I nimbly stepped in front of him and rammed my fist into his ugly head. He collapsed to the ground, moaning, blood pouring from his busted lip. 

_Whoomph__!_

Down went a guy in suspenders! I turned, and a right hook connected with an audible _crack _into the side of a someone's head! 

"Please Mei Ling, please! We were gonna give it back! The boss needed it for his Jacuzzis! We were just borrowing it!" 

I cornered a tanned, wrinkled guy against a wall, his hair slicked back with gel. 

"Oh really? And when were planning on giving it back? Never?"

WHACK!!! 

I head butted him, breaking his nose, and drove my fist into his bulging gut with an uppercut, the whole force of my hips and legs behind it and watched in satisfaction as he slumped, unconscious against the wall. 

I spat on his crumpled form, "Tell your boss he can shove his Jacuzzis where the sun don't shine."

"Uh, uh, uh." Whimpering sounded from across the room. I whirled around, eyes flaring. 

A short stocky man, unclean and messy, his beer gut pouting from the bottom of his chequered shirt, flattened himself against the single window in the bare cream coloured room. 

"I want my money back." I demanded, advancing on him like a growlithe advancing on a potential meal. 

"Uh..." 

"Tell mister Poppinjinellos that if all of it is not back in my account, I'm going to return to this stinking restaurant with dynamite. _Then _I'm going to mosey on over to his condo and I'll be bringing so much explosives I'll be making sure he holidays on the moon." I threatened, my voice low and dangerous. 

"EEEK!" Frightened like a captured mouse he shoved open the window. 


	7. Bada Bing Bada Boom

**Tempest**

We stood the arcade in the centre of the Square, facing each other. I glared at him. 

"YOU OWE ME A MASTERBALL!!!" I yelled. I might as well start the argument off with that. I was angry, no one in this damned place had the faintest clue as to who I was! Do you have any idea how _insulting_ that was? And to top the day off, I'd almost had _two _of the legendary birds of the Wings of Council in my possession! 

I was a pissed off trainer looking for a fight. And Seth had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It also didn't help that I hated him anyway.

He looked around nervously at the people who had milled around us in curiosity. 

"Settle down!" He urged. 

"NO!" 

He leaped back, wincing. 

Then his expression hardened. 

He scowled. "You know what? I have had it up to _here_ with you!" 

"Yeah?! Well _I've _had it up to _here_ with _you!!!"_ I retorted. 

He raised a fist, shaking it in my face, "Chill out babe! Ever since I met you, you've been treating me like shit!" 

"That's because you _are _shit_!"_

"Takes one to know one!" 

I growled, grabbed my masterballs, three in each hand and challenged; "Answer THIS!!" 

Likewise, he grabbed all of his. Hah! Did he think that he could actually beat me? 

We glared at each other. 

"Moltres! Articuno! Zapdos! Shirasharmi! Lugia! Seraph! _GO!!!!!!"_

"Raikou! Suicune! Entie! Houndoom! Gryffon! Arcanine!_ GET HER!"_

**Mei****Ling**

… and leaped out. 

I gaped as I watched him fall to the cement below. 

"Pidgeot! Go!" His giant bird squawked and swept beneath the Poppinjenellos Bandit member, flying him to safety. 

"Damn it!" I screeched, "I wasn't finished!" 

Whipping out a pokeball I flung it out the window; "Blaze! Get out here!" 

My giant charizard materialized beneath the sill. 

With a goofy grin he said, "Hi there! Hic, how you doin' hic, Mei Ping?" 

I hit slapped a hand to my head. Did I ever mention that my charizard was an alcoholic? 

I groaned, "Oh man! Blaze! Why can't you just sober up for once?" 

His facial features went through a series of expressions and finally settled on guilt crossed with determination, "You know what Mei Ping? You're absolutely hic, right! No more drinking, hic, for me!" 

I shook my head in exasperation, that wasn't the first time he'd said that. Sighing I said, "O.K Then! After that moron on the Pidgeot!" 

Blaze looked dazedly about, spotted them swooping through the air, blinked, squealed, and covered his eyes with his claws in terror, "You can't, hic, make me go up against them! There, hic, are five of em!" 

I groaned, holding up my hand, "How many fingers am I holding up?" 

He concentrated on them with bloodshot eyes, "Huh? Oh _good god!_ You've got eleven fingers! I'm gonna throw up." 

"Aaagh!" Waved my hand frantically, "Not here!" 

Too late, his head hunched over and I turned away as retching noises sounded from below.

"That was, hic, better."

I slumped, this was not going to be easy, "You'll just have to do. After the them, Blaze!" 

"O-Okay, hic, I'll twy my best." 

I clambered up the windowsill and leapt out with the intention of landing on his back. Infuriatingly, he'd moved just as I'd jumped out the window and I missed him, falling right passed the damned charizard and sailed towards the ground. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" 

My arms flailed as I rocketed towards the pavement, "BBLLLLAAAZZZZEEE!" 

Whoosh! 

"Ooomph!" My drunkard of a pokemon had caught me _just_ in time! 

Breathing heavily I cried, "O.K! After them!" 

"Yeah!" He cried, excited. "Time to open me up a can of, hic, Whoop-Ass!" 

Instead, he swooped low and grabbed a tequila bottle from a liquor stall on the side of the street. 

"Nooo!" I cried. But too late. 

He cracked it open, and took a mighty long swig.

**Seth**

"You are _so _going to pay!" My team of pokemon burst from their pokeballs, and charged towards Tempest's. O.K, not exactly 'charged', but they went in the general direction. 

"Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" My blue suicune cried excitedly in a happy little stupor. His tongue lagged out, lolling out the side of his mouth as he chased his white ribbon tail, "This time I am _so_ going to get you, you mysterious fiend attached to my ass!" 

Gryffon as expected, promptly sat on the ground, hunching over a novel. He carefully, ever so delicately gripped the edge of a page with a huge forefinger and painstakingly flipped the leaf over. 

_RRRIIIIIIIIIPPPP!!!_

Seeing as his claws were just way too big, he'd accidentally torn the book in half. Ed stared down at the remaining tatters his novel. Then eyes blazing he leaped up and held a fist in the air, crying in anguish; "DAAAAAMMMMMN IIIIIIIIT!!!" 

He glared about – ready to take out his anger on the nearest possible body, "All right! Who the hell wants to fight me?!" 

Looking up delightedly, Suicune put up his paw, like the smart little boy in the front of the classroom anxious to answer the teacher's question, "Me! Me! Me! Me!" 

Tempest's Articuno barrelled through the air, "I'll fight you! You overgrown bookworm!" 

"Awww! Why can't _I?" _Suicune whined. 

My Raikou, Entie, Houndoom and the rest of my pokemon, bar Ed, and Suicune, growled at Tempest's Birds of the Wings of Council. 

However, Tempest's birds were oblivious; Zapdos, Moltres, Seraph, and Lugia were more interested in abusing the crap out of each other. 

The miniature dove pokemon the size of a pidgey growled at one of the birds, its glassy wings flashing in the full sunlight. "Who the hell are you looking at!" 

Scarlet feathers shone, "Definitely not you! Why would I want to look at _your_ ugly face!" 

"Are you calling me ugly!?" 

"What do you think I'm calling you!" 

"Come here you trash!" 

"I'm not trash! I burn it!" 

Zapdos and Lugia circled each other dangerously, eye the other with contempt. 

Zapdos with his thick Mafia accent, "I'll cut you _cakarosh__!"_

"Oh yeah?"

"You a dead bird!" 

Suicune popped up, "I like chicken." 

"Huh?" 

Their muscled necks snapped towards my little Suicune, "GET HIM!!" 

"W-W-What did I do!?" He yelped. 

Oh man! I groaned, hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand. Ouch. 

This was not going the way I had planned it. 

Tempest whirled around, shouting orders. No one listened.  

"Bloody hell! Attack _THEM!!! Not each other!" _

She screamed in frustration, watching Moltres and Seraph bombard each other with a series of firespins and silvershards attacks. 

"You're going _down!!!"_

"Shut your scrawny beak!" 

My dogs, Raikou, Houndoom, and Entie were battling it out against Tempest's shirasharmi, Coo-ee, the sunset bird screeched and cried haughtily, "You know what you blokes are? You're all piss and wind!" 

The three mighty dogs of legend looked at each other confusedly, "Dude, what's he talking about?" 

Gryffon and Artemis clawed at each other, feathers flew. 

"SQQUUAAWWWK!" The articuno screeched, firing a beam of ice, Ed dodged, and wall of the building behind him was encased in cold solidified water. The gryffon burst out his own attack, missing Artemis by inches. 

BOOOOM! 

A statue blew up! 

Pulverized marble scattered to the pavement.  

"HELP ME!" Yelped Suicune, weaving in and out of the onlooking crowd. 

Zapdos and Lugia sought him out, anger ablaze in their eyes. 

"I think I saw him!" 

"Shut-up you fool!" 

"Don't tell _me_ to shut-up!" 

"Quiet!" 

Above, Moltres and Seraph screamed through the air, fire filled the atmosphere, only to be overtaken by shards of crystal light. 

It was chaos and confusion all around me. People gasped and pointed at the sky. 

"AAAAAAAAAH!" 

"RUUUNN!" 

"HELLLPPPP!" 

"Arcanine!" I called, my fire dog loped towards me, the only sensible one amongst the lot. 

His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, "What up dog?" 

I spied Tempest charging towards me, eyes flaring, hair whipping about her face. I gulped, she looked the physical embodiment of Armageddon. 

"Save me!" I yelped. 

**Tempest**

Damn it! If my birds wouldn't listen to me, then I'd have to throttle Seth myself! 

I advanced towards him, screams of defiance raged around me, the energy of attacks clashed in the air, excited shouts rose from the bystanders around us. 

Seth paled, looked left and right, then with a terrified yelp, hid behind his Arcanine. 

Bloody coward. 

I reached for him, my hands outstretched in claws, a grin plastered on my face. 

He turned to run. 

Grabbing him by the sleeve, I yanked him towards me. I might have been small, but living on the road for seven years had strengthened me. 

I went for his throat. 

Above me, Moltres screeched, "Stop running away you pathetic excuse for a bird!" 

"Eat This!" 

Seraph let go a white iridescent ball of energy. It rocketed towards Moltres, who in turn, released her most powerful attack; Nova-Arc. 

The two powers sped towards each other. I froze, my attention diverted from strangling the Dog trainer. My mouth hung open as I watched the deadly, but beautiful colours racing towards each other. Seraph's Divine-Cannon speeding through the air, Nova-Arc, a brilliant tangerine energy beam resembling a shooting star. 

**Mei****Ling**

"Hic! This is the best hic! Dwink I ever had!"

Why me?! 

My Charizard was an alcoholic who couldn't hold his drink. One gulp and he was pissed as a fiddle, drunk as a skunk, under the affluence of inkahol. 

"Hee hee hee! I'm King ov da skies! No wuckin' forries!!!!" Blaze howled triumphantly. 

"C'mon ya big dope!" I urged, "After the guy on the pidg-" 

With a sigh of contentment, Blaze instantly fell asleep and pitched lazily forward, rocketing towards the ground. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" 

CRASH! We hit the sidewalk, I rolled off the incapacitated Charizard, leapt to my feet and proceeded to pound him uselessly in anguish, "You stupid creature! Get up!" 

Muttering, I grabbed another masterball, spied the retreating figure of the Poppinjenellos on his pokemon, and released my galacial. 

My anger hadn't cooled and I wasn't done with him yet. 

**Seth**

I watched the two powers speed towards one another. Absently rubbing my neck where Tempest had attempted to strangle me.  

I held my breath. 

The two forces collided. 

**Mei****Ling**

"Hah! You're not going to get away from me!" I cried, about to leap onto my ice dragon. 

Suddenly:

_KAAABBBOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

A HUGE MUSHROOM CLOUD EXPLODED INTO THE SKY!!!!!!! 

It was the loudest explosion I'd ever heard! Rocking the skies with trembling sound waves, it seemed like the whole world shook!

My jaw dropped open, only one thought popped into my mind. 

Tempest and Seth. 

If an argument could cause a nuclear explosion, it was theirs. 

I hauled myself onto my ice dragon. Thoughts about revenge vanished from my mind as I sped off towards the City-Centre. 

"C'mon Azgard!" I called, "Hurry!" 

"Patience." 

My galacial took the expression 'small talk' literally, speaking no more than one word at a time.

I shivered, like all ice pokemon, his aura was cold, as cold as the wind on a crisp winter morning. Azgard was my galacial, a giant pulsating white dragon. His scales were unblemished, the colour of new snow. His outstretched wings, huge and regal were frosted with ice which ended in sharp icicles. Azgard had been a one of my first dragons, a gift from my father. He was one of my better accomplishments, as in my opinion, I had trained him well. Over the three years of my journey, his arms and legs had become very well developed, flexing strong muscles. Golden iridescent patterns and symbols etched into his scales reflected the suns rays. The galacial had a long tail, tattooed with the same design of patterns. It trailed behind us as we flew, tipped with diamond blades. His facial structure was similar to that of a Charizard, with haughty, aggressive features. Blue eyes blazed coldly and from his snowy head, sprouted two ivory horns, each ending in a jagged point sharper than twin knives. 

We sped over the buildings of city square. At this distance, I could still see the cracks in the pavement, the crooked trees and the litter scattered across the streets as trash cans had been toppled over by the force. People pushed themselves to their feet, having been thrown to the ground by the explosion, milling about in wonder. No one seemed injured.

Azgard spiralled lazily to the ground. Leaping off my galacial's back, I hurried through the people. Tempest sat calmly on park bench which now sat crookedly, legs crossed, arms folded, expressionless.   

"What the hell happened?" I cried, stopping in front of her and indicating the last fluffs of the mushroom cloud disappearing in the sky.  

"I got mad." 

I shook my head and spied a small group of unconscious people slumped against the arcade wall, one of the stirred before promptly losing consciousness again. 

With a gleeful cry, I scurried amongst the sleeping forms, finding and taking items that caught my eye.

Tempest looked at me disgustedly, "Don't you feel any guilt from looting the possessions of defenceless people?"

I gasped, "Tempest! This isn't _looting!_ This is merely relieving the burden of wealth." 

To my utter delight, I found a bright pink cell phone on the unconscious body of a middle aged woman. I turned excitedly to Tempest, "Look! Look what I found!" 

"You've all ready got one," she pointed out. 

"Oh, I know, but now I have _eight!"_

She rolled her eyes. 

"Ooooh, my head..." 

I turned, stumbling across the walkway, head shaking, Seth headed towards us. If Tempest wouldn't tell me what was going on, Seth would. 

"What happened here?" I asked. 

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for asking." He replied sarcastically. He glared at the blue-black haired trainer. "We just got into uh... a little argument." 

"Pokemon battle huh?" I guessed. 

"Yeah, I just went and recalled all mine, Tempest's already returned hers. Most of the battles were in the air, so we didn't cause too much damage, I don't think." 

The wail of sirens filled the air. 

Uh-oh. If we didn't get the hell outta there, we'd be busted for disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment and god knew what else. 

"Ok, I think that's our cue to leave." I shoved the last items I had found into my backpack and whipped forth a masterball. "Let' haul ass already!" 


	8. Gatecrashers 2

****

**_Friday Afternoon, 11:00 o'clock AM, 4th of January_**

**_Ivy_********_Island_****_, Industrial District_**

**Tempest**

We were lost again. We were always lost. It was beginning to piss me off. 

"Do you have any idea where the hell your going?" I yelled at Seth's back. His jacket billowed out like a sail catching the wind. Why we left him in charge of the map reading was beyond me. I swore I'd seen that particular roof not too long ago. 

We'd fled Aspiration and found a quiet haven on one of the other islands. Staying the night at a small country inn, the news had provided that police were searching for two trainers who had broken battling legislation in the city. The suspects were a female, small, blue haired and a male, tall, and blonde, both had in their possession of rare pokemon. No one in the inn had really taken any notice, the descriptions were unclear and there could have been a million trainers out there who were blonde or blue haired. I figured we were safe as long as we didn't show anyone our pokemon. 

Three days later, after a few random battles with trainers in the country side and another visit to the PokeCentre, we'd agreed on trying to hunt down the Ivy Island Gym. 

We _still _couldn't find it. 

I searched the ground meticulously, my eyes wandering over the warehouses and factories of the industrial district of one of the smaller islands in Iris. 

"Oh!" Seth piped up suddenly, "I have to go see Professor Willow!" 

"Why?" I muttered. 

"Because she's the most beautiful professor I've ever seen!" He replied dreamily. 

I groaned, typical Seth. He was always thinking with the brains dangling between his legs. 

"Can't it wait?" I asked, "Let's find the gym first, ok?" 

"So where's her Lab anyway?" Mei Ling asked. 

"Don't tell me you're agreeing with him?" I demanded. 

"If anyone would know where the stupid gym is, it's gotta be the residential Prof." 

I snorted. "Fine."

It wasn't long before we spotted the Pokemon Research Laboratory. A huge neon sign garishly indicated to anyone within a kilometre radius as to where it was located. It was also the only relatively clean building in the area. The lab sat nestled starkly amongst the tightly compacted structures. It was a medium sized brick house, painted a dull white and its roof was a cream aluminium spotted with bird poop. 

We touched down on its rugged yard. Azgard and Zapdos disappeared inside their pokeballs. 

"So, what do you think she'll be like?" Mei Ling queried, as we made our way up the stone steps. 

Seth smiled dreamily. "Absolutely wonderful." 

"Well let's hurry up and get on with it." I grumbled. 

The house, on closer inspection was a shotty thing with dusty windows, cracked bricks and peeling paint. Confused, I turned to look up at the sign, to make sure we were at the right place. 

Mei Ling rapped at the door. We waited for a whole boring minute. No one answered. 

I declared, "It's empty. Now let's go." 

Then as if to prove me wrong, yet again, the old wooden door creaked an inch open, and we were staring down the black barrel of a gleaming gun. 

With a yip of surprise, Mei Ling jumped back, bumping into Seth, who had the nerve to bump into me, and the three of us tumbled to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs. Dominoes effect. 

"Get the hell off of me!" I cried, shoving Seth from my stomach. 

I scrambled up in indignation, waving my fist in the air. How did I manage to team myself up with these imbeciles again? 

"What do you want?" Snapped a deep feminine voice. 

"My 'comrade' here wants to perve." I growled, brushing myself off. 

Seth's face froze in terror, "No, no, no! We're here to see Professor Willow! We're trainers!" He squeaked. 

The door was inched open a tad further and the face of a woman in her early thirties appeared in the crack of the opening. She narrowed her blue eyes suspiciously. Short pink hair framed her face in a stylish bob. Her skin was clear and smooth, not a trace of make up in sight. Light brown freckles adorned her nose and her small bow shaped lips were tightly pressed together. She seemed like someone who didn't smile a whole lot. 

She waved the gun in an imperial attitude. 

"State your names and regions." She snarled. 

"I am Mei Ling Tokugawa from Johto. This is Tempest Gale from Metone and Seth Templeton from the Orange Islands. We're trainers, honest! We wanted to stop by and get the low down of this region… and maybe ask for direction to the gym?" The introductions were uttered nervously, the thief's eyes never leaving the gleaming barrel.

The woman considered for a moment, giving us all a dubious look, then relaxed. The door was quickly swung open, revealing that she wore a clean white lab coat that buttoned up securely and reached down to the length of her knees. She wore grey slacks and brown boots underneath. "You better come in." She muttered. 

And shut the door in our faces. 

**Jiang**

Hmmm, what to choose, what to choose... 

Crap, this was the hardest decision of my life! 

You wouldn't think picking your first pokemon would be difficult would you? Last night, the eve of my tenth birthday, I'd already decided that I'd pick a firedrake. But as soon as I'd reached Professor Willow's Lab from my hometown on Evergreen Island, I'd changed my mind. I paced up and down the aisle of Willow's Research Laboratory. Firedrake, Nimbus, and Hyoon, the three starting pokemon of the Iris League rested in their cages on my right. Rows of white computers and pokemon research equipment were located on my left. The murky light of the industrial district of Ivy island streamed down upon me from a small window above the three iron cages. Firedrake pawed restlessly behind the bars. He tossed his flamed head back, flicking the trundles of red fire from his eyes. He was a lizard pokemon, the devolved form of Dracoflame; the lava dragon. Nimbus the cloud pokemon rested in the corner of his cage next to Firedrake's, his fluffy cream coloured wool reminded me of cotton candy. The dark cat pokemon, Hyoon meowed softly, staring at me with large innocent eyes. Her two ears were touched with silver, and intricate patterns garnished her tiny body. 

The room was a messy place. With stained burgundy tiles, crooked pokemon posters cheaply decorating the walls and all the equipment piled in a heap on one of the benches. 

I sighed, if only my idol was here. She'd know which one I should choose. She knew everything. Tempest Gale had been my heroine ever since I had seen her Indigo League Championship battle against Mei Ling a year ago. Man, she was the strongest trainer I'd ever seen, and I wanted to be just like her, well, at least the trainer part. So what if she hadn't exactly _won_ the match, she was still my hero. 

Oh, I'm sorry, forgot my introduction. 

Hi there! My name's Jiang Tsien, I'm ten years old, into pokemon, Tempest's biggest fan, and I was in the middle of a crisis. 

Oh yeah, did I mention I was the youngest of five kids in the Tsien household? Yep, that's right, my family live on Evergreen Island in a little house with a cute little Pikachu and a fuzzy little rattatta, and a..... 

Oops, sorry, I kinda got carried away. Anyway, I'm pretty short for my age, okay, okay, _way_ short for my age, coming in at about 1.3 meters. I have spiky orange-red hair that people call a constant mess, hazel eyes, light creamy skin, a round face, and a short button nose - or at least that's what my mum calls it. Oh yeah, I also wear a permanent red bandana wrapped around my head. It was of a souvenir from Tempest's championship battle. I never leave anywhere without it. 

Freakin' hell, what to pick, what to pick. What would my idol select? 

As always in a crisis, I began to daydream. I stood beside Tempest in the Iris Stadium. She was grinning and giving me the thumbs up. The golden Iris trophy sat cradled in my arms. The crowd was chanting my name. It was a perfect day, fluffy white clouds floated over head, cute little ledyba buzzed about and there was lots and lots of fairy floss...

I sighed with contentment. What bliss. 

"You open this door right now or I'm going to come in there, rip your guns out of your bloody hands and _SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR GODDAMN THROAT!!!!!!!!!"_

Huh? 

"THAT'S IT! One! Two! _THREE!!!!"_

_WHOOMPH!_

The door burst open! 

_Ha-a-h-lleluja! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!_

My jaw dropped open, I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe who was actually standing in the doorway. 

Standing in the doorway, sunlight streaming behind her in a glorious display of golden rays was my idol. Illuminated by the light, she looked just the image of a legendary goddess of arcane myth. 

"Shit on a stick!" 

 Well, maybe not quite…

"No! Don't tell me to settle down! That chick was waving a gun in my bloody face! For all we know she could be planning to assassinate me, take my pokemon, and bury me six feet under! _An_d not to mention she had the audacity to shut the door on me!" 

I gaped. I couldn't believe it! It was Tempest! My hero! 

Her blue black hair was tied back in a long ponyta tail pulled through the back of her famous Metone League cap. She  was dressed in a way cool, _I'm cool, I don't care what I look like_ kind of way, with a grungy sleeveless shirt and reaaaallly big denim shorts. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Whoa, she was actually here, in the flesh and blood and looking too real to be a figment of my imagination. 

I gaped. 

An older girl, aged perhaps eighteen, with the greenest eyes I had ever seen stood beside Tempest. Her green hair was pulled back in a long braid which trailed down the middle of her back. She was dressed in a white T-shirt, and dark blue denim ¾ quarter jeans. I recognized her as Mei Ling, Champion alongside Tempest. 

I was on the verge of tears of joy. _Two _champions in one day! This was the happiest birthday of my life! 

Mei Ling chuckled as she stepped through the door, "Have you ever actually wondered _why _someone might want to kill you?" 

"Because they're jealous of me?" My idol interjected airily. 

"Nice try; because you have a tendency to piss people off." 

Tempest grinned. 

I couldn't hold down my excitement any longer. I scrambled gleefully towards her, "Tempest! Tempest! Oh my god! It's really you! Tempest!" 

"What the-?" 

I dropped to her feet and wrapped myself around her resplendent ankles, armed with a stupid grin and stars that practically shone from my eyes. I knew I must've looked like a dickhead, but at that moment, I really didn't care. 

"Aagh! Get off my ankles!" Tempest screeched. 

"Oh my gosh! You're talking to me!" 

"I'll do more than just talk to you if you don't let go of me!" She threatened, trying to shake me loose. But I hung on; it wasn't every day you got to latch yourself onto greatness! 

"My name's Jiang! I'm President of the Tempest Gale Fanclub!" 

"Eeep! Help me!" She squealed, shaking even harder. 

I pressed on, "I wanna be just like you!" 

"H-h-e-e-l-l-p!" 

"Oh please, can I have your autograph!?" 

"Who knows what diseases I'll catch!" 

"I have a web site dedicated to you!" 

"I need a rabies shot! Anyone got a rabies shot?!" 

"I have a _chatroom_ dedicated to you!" 

"Better yet, a crowbar would be good!" 

"Hey! She won't give you her autograph, but I will!" A blonde boy pushed in between the two girls. 

I frowned, letting go of her ankles. 

_ZOOM__!_

"You come near me and I'll beat you to a pulp!" Tempest had dashed to the other side of the room, brandishing a Bunsen Burner as a weapon. 

"So, whaddya say?" The boy grinned, holding a blue pen ready for action. He wore an expensive _Trainer_ brand brown jacket, white t-shirt and a pokebelt doing virtually nothing at all to hold up his baggy denim shorts. 

I rolled my eyes, "Look you dork. I don't want the autograph of some lousy Mister Nobody, from no where." 

"Why not?" He moaned, hurt. 

"There, there, Seth." Mei Ling patted him on the back, "Not everyone can be good at being, uh...well, not everyone can be good at being... good." 

He sniffled, covering his face with his hands as Mei Ling nodded sympathetically. Occasionally, when he thought no one was looking, he peeked from behind his hands and grinned mischievously, taking glances at the pretty green haired trainer's cleavage all the while lapping up her compassion. 

I turned my attention back to Tempest, who was swinging the Bunsen Burner harder and faster as she saw me turn to look at her. 

"Pretty please?" 

"That's enough, Jiang." A quiet commanding voice sounded behind me. 

"Bummer." I mumbled disappointedly as Professor Willow stepped from the shadows and walked calmly towards her study desk. She switched on her laptop. 

"You!" Tempest screeched, turning away from me to point an accusing finger at the Professor, "Next time you wave a gun in my face, I'll shove it so far down your throat you'll need to stick your hand up your ass to get it out." 

"Uh, she doesn't mean that." Seth assured quickly. 

"You wanna make a bet?" My hero challenged. 

The pink haired Professor laughed quietly, though her attention was fixed on the flat screen of her laptop, "Did you know that Eevees are the most evolutionary unstable pokemon in the world?" She typed a few sentences on her word processor.  

"So, you're Professor Willow?" The green haired trainer piped up. 

"Affirmative. Oh by the way; close the door. We don't live in a cave in case you didn't notice." 

"You know, you're absolutely right." Mei Ling glanced around the room, "It's more of a bacterial breeding ground than anything else." 

"I carry weapons because the industrial districts of these islands are dangerous." With a sigh she pushed away her work, and turned her head to face us, "Just last week the lab was robbed again - I still haven't gotten around to fully clean the place up yet. So I apologise for being so rude, it's just been a bit dangerous lately."

Seth stared at Willow dreamily, "You can wave a gun in my face any time you want to....." 

"Yeah, she almost blew off my head when I opened the door," I supplied ruefully.

"Why don't you just move?" Mei Ling suggested, moving through the aisles, and checking out equipment. Hey, did she just take a thermometer? 

"I can't leave." Willow replied, "It's not that easy. This is where my base is, my mainframe computers, equipment, everything. I can't just pack up and relocate." 

"_This_ is the Lab?" Tempest asked, unimpressed. She studied the tiled walls, the pictures, the slowly revolving ceiling fan. 

"The last burglary left it damaged beyond repair. Other previous break-ins have just been sapping on the research grants. It's come to the point where I just don't have enough funds to fix the place anymore. With barely enough money to support myself, there's just no way I'd be able to move." 

"So, how was your flight from the meeting? Got a boyfriend? Husband? Wanna go out?" Seth gave a bright smile. Hah! He had more of chance in Hell than of getting a date with _her!_

Willow cast him a baleful gaze. "Horrible. No. Divorced. No." 

The trainer's grin shattered, his shoulders slumped disappointedly, "Can't say I didn't try." He muttered. 

"So what's your story?" Tempest eyed me warily. 

"Who me?" I wondered. Oh my god, she was actually trying to have a conversation with me! I could have died right there and then as a happy kid.

"Yes. You." She replied impatiently through gritted teeth. 

"Well, today's my tenth birthday and I'm here to pick my first pokemon. Oh Shoot! I still have to do that!" I turned on my heel and ran up the aisle, bowling Mei Ling over. 

CLANG!! 

Experimental utensils spilled to the floor. Tempest, Seth and Willow gave her dark looks. 

"Why… I have no idea how they got there!" She spread her hands innocently. 

I stopped in front of the three cages. Oh man! Which one? 

I sighed. This was one hell of a choice. Hyoon, Nymbis, or Firedrake? Having no other alternative, I decided to call forth the age old sacred rites of eeny meeny miny mo. 

"If he squeals, let him go. Eeny meeny miny mo." My finger landed on the cage containing - 

BAM BAM BAM!!! 

Eh?! What was going on? 

"Shit." Willow swore behind me, "Protestors again."

There were many pokemon rights activists on the islands who believed that using pokemon for battling was a form of slavery and broke the pokemon rights laws. They often targeted Willow's lab, seeing it as the seed of the evil as this was where trainers received their first pokemon.  

The Professor slid from her chair, reached into one of her large white coat pockets, and withdrew a gleaming black Uzi. I grimaced, this might get nasty. Messy? More than likely. 

"You want me to do anything Prof?" I asked helpfully, watching her go. 

"What are you going to do?" Mei Ling asked her. 

_Yoink__!_

"Do what I always do. Tell 'em to piss off." She headed towards to the door, "Oh, by the way, put my calculator back." 

Mei Ling blushed, "Sorry." 

_Yoink__!_

"_That _as well." 

"But I didn't take anything..." 

"My paper holder?" 

"Oh... _that._" 

As usual, the pink haired professor inched the door open, sticking the nozzle of the gun out first. 

WWHHAAMM!!!! 

The door exploded off its hinges, slamming against the professor. She hurtled across the room! 

"What the f - _OOOMPH!!_" 

She slumped painfully against the wall, the weight of the door pinning her down. 

"Professor!" I cried, rushing to her aide. 

"What's going on?" Tempest demanded. 

"Oh man, this is _not_ my lucky day!" Mei Ling complained, scrabbling about and withdrawing a small item from her pocket which she began to kiss fervently.

Seth yelled. "Why is it wherever we go, something seems to get destroyed?" I leaped over the door, landing nimbly beside Willow. Crouching down I inquired, "Are you alright?" 

Her eyelids fluttered weakly, then suddenly widened, and she stared at me seriously, "Luke Skywalker, I am your father." 

"Really?" I asked, before I could stop myself. 

Unexpectedly, she burst into a fit of giggles and cried out, "Houston, we have a problem!" 

"What?" 

"Apollo 13 is spinning out of control!" 

Huh?

"E.T phone home!" 

"Willow! What's wrong with you?" I cried desperately. She was freaking me out big time - even more than my sister does! The professor abruptly changed her demeanor and became serious again, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." 

"Yoo-hoo! Hello in there!" A new, unfamiliar high-pitched male voice called. 

Willow chirped up brightly in a girlie singsong voice, "Good morning _Charlie__!"_

I turned, the silhouettes of two tall, skinny figures stood in the doorway. 

They didn't look an awful lot like protesters. 


End file.
